


life in the vivid dream

by pepsipink



Series: Where've you been and where no sun is a sin [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Gender Identity, M/M, Multi, Nonbinary Character, Pregnancy, Trans Male Character, Unplanned Pregnancy, kind of rule 63, mentions of Ignis/Aranea, mentions of Noctis/Luna, noct is femme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-16
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-06 07:57:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 43,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10329800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pepsipink/pseuds/pepsipink
Summary: The plans to see Noctis to Altissia were going to happen if it was the last thing they did. But things were never easy with her - and now they have to see Noctis on another journey; protecting the Caelum family legacy.fill for the kinkmeme: Noctis becomes pregnant early on in the journey, and they must see her and her child to safety.





	1. 01: And then it falls

**Author's Note:**

> Fill for this: https://ffxv-kinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/3016.html?thread=1948872#cmt1948872
> 
> This is already a monster of a fic, and I'm trying to condense it into three chapters. I'm halfway done, so I'm _determined_ to see this to the end. So, as per usual, gonna set down some exposition here.
> 
> I was _really_ on the fence about how I should go about portraying Noct here, but came to a conclusion. Noctis is femme, but I like playing around with gender, so when I refer to her as the prince and king, it's on purpose - don't worry. Prompto is a transman here too. I'm really obsessed with Children of Men, so I'm drawing some (not a lot) of inspiration from that.
> 
> hhhh overall, this is so much fun to write and i really hope that whoever reads this will enjoy it. i'm a sucker for family/fluff fics and i just wanted to write something with a positive vibe to it. 
> 
> enjoy! i'll try and put out these chapters before i get sucked back into the college void again.

“You haven’t been acting yourself, Noct.”

Noctis winces as she looks up from her paperwork, meeting Ignis halfway. He’s been sitting with her for a few hours, going through the basics with her, ensuring that she understood everything that was being said, what the treaty meant for her – what she would be expected to do. It hasn’t been fun, no – paperwork never was. There was definitely a sense that she was struggling much more than she was used to – she couldn’t _concentrate_. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for her to doze off, but she’d read the words over and over again, and it was like she was reading another language. The sentences would mix and words would mash into one – none of it made sense.

The treaty was kind of a bummer – she fully admitted that, but also knew that her duty as the royal heir would task her to do things she didn’t want to do.

Marrying Luna would’ve been anybody’s dream – and truthfully, Noctis had been enamored with her ever since she was a child. But she always felt as though Luna was more of an older sister, especially as they grew older. Her admiration for the Oracle never faded, but she figured by now, Luna would’ve married someone who was more her _type_. And well, Noctis wasn’t all that good at handling her emotions – it was hard to explain.

For years, Noctis had been involved with Ignis, her advisor. She cared about him with everything she had, and confessed early on in their relationship that she wanted him to remain by her side forever. A while had passed, and Noctis felt content having him with her – but then came along Gladio.

Once Gladio and Noctis had gotten over their frequent spats and grew into a friendlier bond, she found that her feelings for Gladio were on a similar scale to how she felt about Ignis. The three of them hung out frequently, and things started changing – Ignis admired the bond that Noctis and Gladio maintained, and soon enough, Ignis suggested that they make something of the three.

It was only while they were young – all of them would be expected to marry people approved by their families, produce heir’s of their own to ensure that the royal line would continue, and that their legacies would live on.

And then Prompto was introduced to the mix.

Prompto was different, in a way, and Noctis felt a connection to him that she’d never felt before. She wasn’t sure exactly what it was – but he understood her on a level that she didn’t think Ignis and Gladio ever could. Not that them not understanding was a bad thing – but it was new, and eye opening. Ignis and Gladio wanted only the best for Noctis, so the four of them worked something out.

They all still attended to their own lives, but it didn’t mean that their relationship wasn’t real.

Yes, Noctis knew that she would have to end things eventually, but she wanted it to be on her own terms. She was still too young to marry, and she wanted to enjoy her freedom while she still could.

It was a sticky situation, but nothing could be done. And now here she was, signing paperwork for a treaty that she wouldn’t be able to get out of. And if this was the only thing that was going to end the war and protect the people of Lucis, then she was willing to do so. Even if the journey would hurt – they were going to see it through.

“Listen, Noct… I know this isn’t easy…”

“It’s not that.” She says, cupping her face in her hands. “I’m trying. I feel a little lightheaded, though. Sorry…”

Ignis sighs, pushing a hand through her feathered black hair, resting his cheek in his palm.

“Shall I get you some water?”

She shakes her head, breathing through her nose as she tries to sit up straight once more. Ignis looks at her with concern, and she feels it burning through her skull. She was normally much better at concentrating – it wasn’t this hard, but something was coming over her. Was it her anxiety? She was prone to it – Ignis knew this and was trained in how to help her cope with it.

This was a stressful situation – he didn’t blame her for being so overwhelmed. Noctis wasn’t ready to take the throne, and she certainly wasn’t ready to commit to marriage. It hurt to admit, but he wasn’t exactly ready to let her go, either. Processing this paperwork made the start of their journey real, and he wished he could set it aflame – give her a little more time.

She’s paled up quite a bit, and Ignis doesn’t wait for her to reply before he stands up to depart. She needs a break.

“Wait – don’t – “

Noctis stands up with him, clutching onto his suit jacket. He’s about to reach for her, but the next thing he knows she’s on her knees, vomiting the contents of her lunch onto the floor.

This wasn’t any good.

* * *

 Gladio’s sitting on her bed, legs crossed as he stares at Ignis standing by the bathroom door. Prompto’s been in there with her for at least an hour, and the sounds of her retching haven’t lightened up in the slightest.

Yesterday, after puking right on Ignis’ shoes, he rushed her to her quarters and stuck her right in the bath. She wasn’t running a fever, though she was inconsolable the entire time he was trying to tend to her. He could only chalk it up to her nerves, and her terrible anxiety. She was trying so hard to stay strong through this entire mess, it was only natural that she would give in to what she was feeling. It was hard watching her all night, wishing only that he could stop her tears and make everything go away. 

His fears only grew stronger, however, when she awoke the next morning feeling worse, and her appearance mirrored it.

The four of them were supposed to retrieve their royal garments today, in preparation for their departure tomorrow – but Noctis was hardly able to leave her bed – Prompto and Gladio showed up expecting everyone to be ready and raring to go, but were greeted by a mess instead.

Prompto was quick to assist Noctis to the bathroom as she upchucked her breakfast and last night’s dinner, and he was a bit better equipped at getting through to Noct when things were looking grim. His own anxiety trained him for this, and he had a better understanding of how Noctis’ body worked – he had only begun his transition a few months prior, he was able to talk her through things that the others wouldn’t have been able to.

“Should we call a doctor, you think?” Gladio cocks an eyebrow as Ignis sinks to the floor, wincing as he hears Noctis choke out a loud sob – interrupted by a relatively painful sounding dry-heave.

“She’s not running a fever. I feel as though we should call a psychiatrist, instead. She only began acting this way once the treaty was announced.”

“Prompto’ll fight you on that. You know he hates that shit – says they lack empathy.”

“Yes well, we can’t be pulling over every five minutes on our way to meet the Oracle. Noct doesn’t currently have the means to talk herself out of an anxiety attack. Prompto can’t keep doing it for her.”

“Sweetheart, I’ve seen Noct’s attacks play out – this isn’t one of ‘em.”

“And what, pray-tell, do you think this is, then?”

“She’s sick with somethin’.”

Prompto opens the door a crack, peaking his head out.

“She’s tired.” He says, a sheepish smile on his face. “Iggy, you wanna help her clean up? She hasn’t puked in fifteen or so – she can breathe again. I think she just has to take it easy, and we’ll be good to go.”

“Thank you, Prompto.”

Ignis and Prompto swap places, allowing Ignis entry into the bathroom. Hardly five seconds pass before the water begins running, and the door closes shut – inaudible chatter coming from Noctis on the other side. Prompto takes a deep breath before joining Gladio on the bed, staring at the light shining from beneath the door.

“Tell you anything good?”

Prompto looks to Gladio, curiosity written all over his face. He’s always been the blunt one of the bunch, needing things explained to him straight.

But truthfully, Prompto didn’t know what was going on. When he spoke to Noctis, she was as honest as could be – she was nervous, sure, but nothing bad enough to warrant this kind of physical response. She felt confident about leaving home and starting their journey – no, she hasn’t seen Luna in years, but they kept in contact, and she doesn’t think that them reuniting will be awkward and unfortunate. Will the marriage be rocky and uncertain at first? Absolutely, but all marriages were – and was she ready to marry and rule a kingdom? No – not one bit, but it was bound to happen inevitably, therefore, she felt somewhat prepared.

Hell, puking wasn’t even something she did when she suffered from her panic attacks. She was much more prone to hyperventilating, but figured that maybe vomiting was just a new thing she acquired over the years.

Prompto thinks that something’s up, though. He thinks he knows what – he doesn’t feel confident enough to say, though.

He hadn’t quite experienced anything like this for himself, but he did enough research to know the signs – in case it ever _did_ happen to him. They were all very careful, though – so after a while, Prompto stopped worrying. This didn’t mean that he stopped being careful, however. None of them did.

But for all he knows, it is anxiety. He can’t remember the last time the four of them had sex – not together, at least. They were all too busy getting things set in stone. He was just projecting his own anxieties onto her – dysphoria drove him up the wall, sometimes.

“Nothing worth mentioning. Somethin’ about being a super unruly prince – _really_ not into the idea of wearing a dress to the wedding. Think we can convince King Regis to give her the fancy suit?”

Gladio laughs, flopping back on the bed.

“C’mon, that can’t be all. Thought she’d love the idea of wearing the late Queen’s wedding gown.”

Prompto shrugs, flopping back along with him. He stares at the ceiling, decorated in cheesy glow in the dark stars, typical Noctis. He’s spent more time in her apartment than he’s ever spent in his home – he’s going to miss all of this once she returns to the citadel, with her new wife. This was hurting more than he thought it would.

“Noct’s never done things the old fashioned way. I mean, look at her now – marrying a princess. Hundreds of years ago, her ancestors probably would’ve rather had her dead, yeah?”

“Times are changing. You would know, wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah. Feels really damn good, too.”

Noctis exits the bathroom in her robe, Ignis following closely behind, his hand on her lower back as he leads her to her dresser. She’s got dark circles under her eyes, but she looks a little more lively than she did when Gladio and Prompto had first gotten there.

“Feeling any better, sweetheart?” Gladio props himself up, watching as she preps her outfit for the day. Ignis said something about whipping up a lighter breakfast, since she had to eat, but didn’t want her to throw up anymore, lest she become dehydrated. He’s out the door before they notice.

“Feel like shit – but shit has to be done.” She mumbles, throwing on her princely garb.

Gladio can’t help but smile and laugh. She was a good sport.

* * *

 

“Lestallum’s only an hour from here, Noct. I know that’s a while, but if we stop now, we’d only be able to find a haven.” 

Ignis looks at Noctis through the rearview mirror. Prompto’s since turned around, handing her a bottle of water and a plastic bag he managed to retrieve from the glove compartment. Gladio’s got her on his lap, and he’s sweating – threading his fingers through her hair, trying to help her with her breathing, as Prompto taught him to.

“I fuckin’ told you she was sick!” He growls, “If she pukes in the damn car – “

“I’m driving us to the hospital, Gladio. Now’s not the time for this.” Ignis grits his teeth, his foot pressing on the gas – hitting a speed the regalia probably wasn’t capable of maintaining. “Her nausea was manageable until the headaches begun. I’m sorry – I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have listened to her when she insisted on moving on.”

The regret in his voice is too apparent, it makes Prompto’s heart ache.

The trip was _violently_ rerouted when Insomnia fell over a month ago, and Noctis simply kept trucking on. Nobody knew how she did it, but she insisted over and over again she was fine – she didn’t need medical attention. She was an emotional mess, and that was to blame. Her nausea would disappear for days at a time, and then strike at the most inconvenient times.

And then they reached Lestallum, when the headaches began and suddenly she was hardly able to function. But she still kept on – and as they were on their way home from the royal tomb that Talcott had directed them towards, she started experiencing abdominal pain, and what was finally the straw for Ignis, was that her fever had risen, and he would stop at nothing to get her into the hands of a reliable doctor.

She’s taken to breathing through her nose, trying to keep her sickness at bay – the last thing she wants to do is puke in Gladio’s lap, so she keeps her eyes closed, and she tries to drown out the sound of everyone’s arguing – she just wants to sleep until they get there.

Noctis was so tired of everything going wrong – her father dead, and her kingdom destroyed. Luna was being held in Altissia, where she assured Noctis that she would be waiting – and here she was, having to postpone her meeting with the Archaean simply so she could get pumped full of some drugs and be bedridden for at least a week. She missed her own bed, she missed her father, missed being able to be carefree with her partners. She didn’t want to be an adult, she didn’t want to rule a kingdom. She was miserable – she was embarrassed.

“I just – I wanna go home.” She choked into Gladio’s thigh, sobs forcing their way out of her throat. “I wanna go home – I wanna go home.”

Prompto reached out to her, taking her hand in his own, squeezing it lightly.

“You’re doing great, Noct. We’re proud of you – you’re gonna be alright.”

They’re in Lestallum before they know it – Ignis having gone impossibly fast the entire way there. Noctis swears that they warped their way into the hospital – being swept from Gladio’s arms into a wheelchair the second they made it through the doors. Ignis opts to go with her into the assigned room – as Lestallum was fairly strict with their visitor rules, and Ignis knew a majority of her information by heart, and knew better how to lie when they needed to.

Prompto and Gladio can only sit and wait while she’s whisked away.

Hours pass before Noctis is wheeled out by Ignis. She doesn’t look like she’s been touched all that much, aside from a bandaid placed within her elbow – the dark circles under her eyes look a bit more severe, but other than that – nothing else is out of place.

* * *

 

“Are they waiting for my piss to grow eyes and ears and slither out of this hospital? Is it always supposed to take this long?” 

Ignis laughs, kissing the top of Noctis’ hand.

“Ah yes, you’re used to around the clock medical treatment. To commoners, emergency room trips can take _days_.”

Noctis groans, sinking further into the hospital bed. She’s cold, and she’s not in pain anymore. They even gave her some all natural anti-nausea pill that was doing _wonders_. Ignis was keeping the others updated through text, not wanting to leave them in the dark. He did hope that they left the vicinity to eat and get some fresh air, but knowing the two of them, they’ve been too wrecked with worry to even use the bathroom.

They’re both convinced that she just had an especially bad episode, but Ignis insisted that it was better to know for sure that there wasn’t anything serious happening. Maybe it was only the Archaean messing with her – maybe it was affecting her anxiety differently.

She just wanted something fatty and dipped in grease right now – she wasn’t even worried about puking it back up. After today’s events, she felt as though she deserved to be pampered a little bit. But all of that depended on whether or not this goddamned doctor would come and tell her that everything was normal and she should just take these anti-nausea pills and continue on her merry way.

The doctor entered not five seconds later.

“Well.” She says, grabbing the stool from behind the curtain and rolling to Noctis’ bedside. “How you’re going to handle this depends on a lot of things – so I don’t want to call this good news.”

“Am I dying?” Noctis cocks an eyebrow.

“No.”

“Then it’s good news.” She props herself up in the bed, letting go of Ignis’ hand, slipping her socks and shoes back on, signaling her boyfriend to grab her coat.

“I’m not dismissing you.” The doctor’s voice is firm, “The results we received are certain, through urine and blood. But I’d like to run an ultrasound – you said you’ve been experiencing this discomfort for over a month, now – so I’d just like – “

“Doctor, what is her diagnosis? We’d at least like to know before any follow up tests are performed. Is it absolutely necessary?”

The doctor looks to Ignis, she seems exasperated.

“You tested positive for pregnancy. I’d like to run the ultrasound to see how far along you are, and to ensure the pregnancy isn’t ectopic – the pain you experienced today isn’t necessarily concerning, but I’d just like to be sure.”

The two of them are quiet, staring wide-eyed at the doctor. The silence in the room is deafening, and the doctor takes this as her opportunity to arrange a meeting with the technician. She offers a smile before standing up, patting Noctis on the calve – she takes her leave shortly after, pulling the curtain closed to give them their privacy.

Noctis doesn’t move, staring vacantly into nothingness.

As if things couldn’t get any worse – this was so typical. She was careful – she was always very careful. She always made sure that they used protection. There were two of them at risk for unplanned pregnancy, they had every reason to be as cautious as they were. Between Gladio and Ignis, they were always on top of their game, and if one of them ever forgot, Noctis and Prompto would be there to tell them so.

So what went wrong?

Ignis is focused on the floor, his glasses having slid so far down his nose she thought they would fall off. He looks damned ashamed of himself, like he’s the sole person to blame – but considering how they worked, she had no idea who the father could be. She couldn’t blame anybody but herself.

There was no possible way that they were going to bring a child into this world when everything was at stake right now.

“Let’s go.” She finally speaks up, knocking Ignis right out of his train of thought. “I don’t want to stay – I want to leave.”

“Highness – your health is on the line.”

“I don’t care. I don’t want to be here – lets get the others and go back to the hotel.”

She tries getting up, but Ignis is quick to push her down, his grip pinning her to the bed – his eyes are overcome with grief, she doesn’t have the strength to push him away.

“Ignis – “

“Leaving wont make this go away.” There’s desperation in his voice, and she’s got no idea where it’s coming from. He sees the fear in her eyes, and he loosens his grip, setting himself back in the chair beside her. “At the very least – let her tell us everything we need to know. We have to talk about this, Noct – not just you and I.”

“It’s _my_ body, Ignis.” Noctis pounds her fist into the mattress. “You nor _anybody_ else is going to have a say in what I do with it – you understand?”

He closes his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Of course.

He wasn’t going to argue with her whether or not she were to keep this baby or not. It wasn’t up to him, nor Gladio, nor Prompto. She’s angry – no, she’s frightened, but she has every right to be.

He just wished he noticed sooner. The signs were all there, but everything had been happening at once – he just overlooked _everything_. He can see now, her eyes welling with tears, and he doesn’t blame her. This wasn’t supposed to happen, this wasn’t going to tide well with anything that was going on. Their mission was dangerous, and it was taking a toll on Noctis’ body, things became physical too quickly, and though the three of them were there to protect Noctis at all costs, she was not the type to wait in the sidelines and watch as everything was done for her.

This was _her_ battle and she had every right to fight in it. And suddenly, she’s bearing a child – one that didn’t belong to the bride she would be marrying in a matter of weeks.

She’s covering her mouth with her hand, and he thinks that she might be feeling queasy again. He goes to help her adjust, but he’s swatted away – and all she can do is cry.

“Noct – I’m sorry.”

She shakes her head, eyes shut tightly. He moves in a bit more carefully this time, sitting beside her on the mattress, gently pulling her into his chest.

“I don’t want to marry Luna.” She chokes out, “I want to stay with you three – I’m messing everything up.”

“This isn’t your fault, highness.” He rests his chin on the top of her head, “We’ve vowed to stand with you no matter what. This doesn’t change anything.”

He meant it. If they had to find the means to terminate the pregnancy, they would – but if she decided that she’d rather go through with it, then they’d make it happen. There was nothing in this world that the three of them wouldn’t do for her. And despite all this, Noctis is still dedicated to her cause – she knows that she’s going to marry Luna and put an end to the war. They would not leave her to tend to these matters by herself.

“Once we know the details – we’ll talk it out with the others. Is that alright?”

She nods, resting her cheek against Ignis’ shoulder.

“I don’t know what I’ll do if it’s real.”

* * *

 

The walk back to the hotel is quiet, and Gladio and Prompto are still entirely in the dark about whatever went down in the hospital. All they were told was that Noctis was fine, and that they’d discuss the details when they were alone in their room. No Talcott, no Iris – just the four of them. 

Gladio didn’t take vague statements lightly, and his partners could feel his frustration being burned in to each and every one of them.

Noctis just whined about being hungry before they left, and Ignis was very clear about making sure she ate something before they got down to business. Prompto stuck close to Noctis’ side, an arm wrapped around her, making sure she didn’t faint should she feel weak. It was rough, trying to put the pieces together, but Prompto knew that guessing would be useless, and they just had to hear everything out of Noctis’ mouth. Or Ignis’. Whoever was able to speak most eloquently about what was going on (probably Ignis.)

Gladio _stares_ at Noctis while they eat their meal. She’s completely aware of his attention, but she pays him no mind. They’ve got some television special about Insomnia running in the background, and she stays focused on that.

It’s depressing, seeing families evacuated from their homes during the invasion – seeing the newscasters argue over whether or not Noctis was _dead_. And though all of this was happening – she felt better than she has since before they left for their journey. Perhaps having everything cleared up was the best medicine after all – everything made a lot more sense now.

She wasn’t dying.

“Are we gonna pretend like this entire fiasco just didn’t happen?” Gladio speaks up, and he sees Ignis freeze mid-bite. “I’m sorry if you don’t wanna talk about it, but we’ve been worried sick all fuckin’ day. You can’t just leave us in the dark.”

“I’m pregnant.” Noctis slams her dish down on the coffee table, jolting Prompto in the process. “Second trimester, just about four and a half months along.”

Gladio is struck silent, looking between her and Ignis. Prompto looks as though he’s about to faint.

“How I missed all of the signs are beyond me. I menstruate pretty regularly, figured I was missing it because I’ve been sick and stressed out.” She continues, “So.”

“…You’re not joking, are you?”

She looks to Prompto, seeing how he’s on the verge of tears.

“This is a lot to take in – not just for me, but for you guys too.” She closes her eyes, drawing her knees to her chest. “I wanted to know what you thought before I made any decisions.”

“Noct – it’s your body.” Prompto frowns, “You don’t gotta do anything you’re not feelin’.”

“We’re not going to force you to decide based on how we feel.”

They’re all quiet again – but what they’re saying is exactly what she expected. She’s glad that they feel so strongly about letting her do what she feels is right, but part of it feels like them hoping that she’s going to march back into that hospital – get rid of any and all evidence that this ever happened – they were going to continue on their way to Altissia like was originally planned. To her – it wasn’t that easy, though.

“Okay. Because it’s complicated.” Noctis stands from her seat, walking to the balcony doors. “It’s not, I guess. But I’m going to go through with it.”

“Noct… we have to confront the _Archaean_ in a matter of days.” Gladio balls his hands into fists, “Are you sure that you’re up to this?”

“I’m not.” Her voice quivers, her head turned towards the door – staring out into the city lights of Lestallum. “I’m terrified and I just need to know that you guys have my back.”

“O-Of course we do, Noct.” Prompto leans towards her, “What kind of friends would we be if we just up and left?”

Gladio looks to Ignis, quiet throughout the entire discussion. He’s sure that he’s already talked this out with Noctis, but he couldn’t help but feel _frustrated_ that the one who experienced all of this with her while they were in the hospital had nothing more to say.

“After the doctor told us, I immediately wanted it taken care of – but Ignis told me that we needed to talk about it as partners.”

She stands with her arms folded over her chest, and his eyes can’t help but wander towards her mid-section. She had always been a bit on the meatier side, filling out nicely as she grew older. Her muscles weren’t immediately defined, and he was sure that her diet didn’t help with her figure – but he _liked_ her this way. It was part of who she was – there was no way she was that far along already, She wasn’t showing – not one bit.

“So I thought about it.” Her arms drop to her sides. “And I thought about it – and we were in there for about an hour before the doctor came back to run more tests. And then I had to face my fear of this being a reality.”

And as she laid there in bed, grasping onto Ignis for dear life as the doctor pressed that uncomfortable device into her abdomen, she decided that maybe this could be her last act of defiance against the absolutely terrible situation she was forced into – this could be her last act of love to the people she cared about the most.

“The doctor said that if we were to terminate it, it would have to be immediately. Once she said that, I insisted to Noct that this was her decision – and we would accept it no matter what.”

Ignis finally speaks, gathering the empty dishes scattered about the hotel room.

“I wanted an heir from someone I loved.” She’s quiet, “You know that my feelings towards Luna are… convoluted… but she wont hold this against me. I know her better than that. We’d probably need some astral interjection to conceive a child anyway. And… dad would’ve wanted me to have children.”

The three of them remain quiet, watching as Noctis turns towards them once again.

“It’s a little early.” She takes a deep breath, gesturing to her abdomen. “But the Caelum family legacy is going to live on.”

* * *

 

Despite being five months pregnant, there was very little that would stop Noctis from continuing on with her journey. Gladio was quick to realize this, and for the first time in his life, he felt _panicked_ by her recklessness. He could only imagine the pure torture Ignis had to endure throughout the twenty two years of his being alive and how many of those years he spent wracked with worry for Noctis’ wellbeing. 

The battle with the Archaean was _a nightmare_.

They barely made it out alive, and yet Noctis was battling her way through Titan as though there _wasn’t_ a baby growing inside of her. It was maddening and maybe it was just this new paternal instinct that Gladio recently discovered he had, but he wanted to sit her down after everything was said and done and tell her everything she was and wasn’t allowed to do in battle.

He remembered his military training, and the education he received from his mentors. Pregnant people weren’t necessarily a big discussion when it came to physical training, but there were some tips about what was and wasn’t safe.

Noctis was blessed by the stars, and the chosen king to purge Eos of it’s darkness – whatever that entailed. Surely with that sort of status, she wasn’t necessarily in all that much danger – perhaps she was protected under the will of the Gods – because there was no reasonable explanation as to _why_ she was still pregnant by the end of it all.

Ignis had been doing his research, and he knew how to check for abnormalities after Noctis had gotten especially beaten up – but so long as she wasn’t bleeding or burning up, there wasn’t any reason for concern.

This baby was already the luckiest creature alive, and it hadn’t even been born yet.

The victory came with it’s downsides, however, and lacking the Regalia was proving to be a nightmare.

They were cooped up in the caravan stationed by the Chocobo post while they waited on word from Cindy.

Noctis was confined to the bed for now, orders from Ignis until their dinner was ready.

“This blows.”

“Yeah – this bed sucks when it feels like you’ve swallowed a chocobo egg.”

Gladio laughs, looking up at Noctis from the floor, where he was reading his mediocre novel.

“Relax, princess. If anything, it just looks like you’ve had one too many of Ignis’ desserts that he keeps pumping you full of.” He flashes a grin at her as she rolls onto her side, threading her fingers through his hair. “You sure you’ve got a kid in there?”

“Shouldn’t be asking that when you’re the one who helped me clean up the bathroom after I spent twenty minutes puking in there earlier.”

He chuckles; at the time, it was mortifying. Her morning sickness hadn’t let up, even with the headaches subsided – they were assured that it was completely normal, though. Pregnancy was sort of a miserable concept – she was being a good sport.

Initially, she was too frightened of what was happening to her body to do anything. It delayed their plans quite a bit, and they had to learn what felt good for her. Some days she’d be up for fighting, other days she wouldn’t want to get out of bed. Gladio would’ve fought her over it any other time, and yet he found himself sympathizing with her.

Ignis and Prompto were handling everything much better than he was, and he couldn’t really figure out why. Suddenly, being around Noctis made him feel sort of nervous – it was as if he’d never seen a pregnant woman before. He was old enough to remember his mother carrying Iris when he was around eight years old, though he was so young, and he remembered feeling the same way – but his mother was calm and understanding – she talked him through the entire duration of her pregnancy like it was nothing.

Noctis didn’t quite have that motherly tone, and he wasn’t sure if she ever would.

Only the four of them were aware of this, but Noctis was never fond of adhering to gender roles. She had her hair cut short, and she more often than not refused to wear the princess garments she was gifted with by the royal court. Her father never minded any of this, and let Noctis express herself the way she wanted to.

She didn’t necessarily consider herself transgender, though, not like Prompto, and instead admitted that she felt as if she were outside of the gender binary. In that way, she acknowledged that she wasn’t necessarily a _girl_ – she existed as she wanted to.

And now she was sort of _forced_ to give into what her body was capable of. Gladio never really saw her as a girl – but now it was sort of painfully obvious to him. The way her breasts swelled, and her body rounded out – she looked softer than before, delicate. God, Noctis would slap him if she could read his thoughts – he was still trying to get past his biases and throw all of his knowledge of damsel in distress out the window. He thought he was doing a pretty good job of it, too.

“Hey.”

Her voice snaps him out of his thoughts, and he closes the book he’s been pretending to read. She’s adjusted herself on the bed slightly, making room for him as she pats the empty space next to her.

“C’mere, you big baby.”

Gladio hesitates slightly before joining her. She presses close to his side, snatching his hand and placing it against her lower belly. He tries to pull back, but she’s pressing it into the fabric of her shirt.

“Iggy and Prompto feel me up all the time – we’re gonna fight this fear of yours.”

He swallows audibly, his palm pressing into her abdomen. He’s still hesitant, but the longer she keeps him there, the more he begins to relax. The curve of her stomach is so much more obvious now that he’s feeling it – it was hardly noticeable underneath her black clothing. She removes her hand from his, slipping her shirt up – giving him a better look.

“Can’t feel anything. Probably wont for another couple of weeks, so don’t stress. Nothing’s gonna poke back at ya.”

“I uh…” He’s exploring the surface of her skin with the pads of his fingers. The way her gut kind of juts out is sort of cute, now that he’s seeing it up close. “Guess that really is a kid in there.”

She laughs, rolling onto her back, her own hand absent mindedly drawing circles below her navel.

“We’ll probably have to go back into Lestallum once we get the Regalia back – a follow-up appointment is due. I wanna know what I’m carrying.”

“Boy or girl?”

“Yeah. Was too early when they gave me the initial ultrasound. Granted, I was too panicked to really care.”

Gladio closes his eyes, his thumb stroking against her smooth skin.

“It’s probably about the size of your fist right now. Yours – not mine.” She said, “I probably still would’ve been in denial but Ignis and I got to see it. You should come in, next time – hear it’s little heartbeat. It’s weird.”

“That would definitely convince me that this was real.”

“Hah – yeah. Was terrifying. Yunno, Iggy started crying?”

“No shit.”

“Yeah. Not like, full on sobbing, but there were definitely tears.”

Gladio freezes slightly, looking down at Noctis – he bites his cheek.

“Noct.” He’s a bit quieter now. “Not… that it matters – but – “

“I’m pretty sure it’s you, Gladio.” She meets his gaze, “Five months ago, Ignis was on a trip with some of the royal court. He didn’t get back until shortly before the treaty was announced – and around that time, we were all too upset to touch each other.”

“Fuck. I’m sorry – I’m usually more careful – I wouldn’t have – “

“It’s fine. I forgot to refill my birth control prescription around that time – “

“I used a condom, didn’t I?”

“Gladio – it’s okay.” She nuzzles into his cheek. “Accidents happen.”

“…Does Ignis know?”

“Yeah. He’s the one who figured it out – said that he’s glad that he wont be the one getting beheaded once word gets out.”

He laughs, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

He does feel a little bit better, now that they’ve talked it out. Ignis was so proactive during the entire fiasco, and Prompto was enthusiastic ever since Noctis started acting like herself again. Gladio was the only one who couldn’t really wrap his head around the entire ordeal – but Noctis was talking him through it, even though he didn’t expect her to.

The four of them worked together as a team, so Gladio would have to remind himself that this wasn’t his burden to bear alone. They were going to be a family, and having that knowledge felt pretty damn good. There was still so much to worry about, and now they had to figure out what to do when it came to getting them all to Altissia. Were they to wait it out? Four months would fly by quickly, he was sure of it.

They had no idea what was going to go down once they left Lucis, but he supposed they’d discuss this sooner or later. Ignis was already thinking about the possibilities, undoubtedly.

For now, they just had to figure out how to get in contact with Ramuh, get the Regalia back, and guide Iris on her way to safety.

It would be a piece of cake.

* * *

 

She summoned Ramuh and it was incredible. All the others could do was stare in awe at the astral, seeing how he lifted Noctis in his hand and completely decimated the Niflheim base in one swift motion. 

At least they didn’t have to worry about her getting destroyed in the process, though when she was placed back down, she looked completely winded.

They needed to grab the Regalia and _go_.

But _then_ Ravus showed up, and he’s _strong_.

Noctis hides her pregnancy through her loose fitting clothing, but it cuts close – Gladio steps in to push Ravus away, but he’s greatly overpowered. The air surrounding the group is different now – there were other things at stake that they had to protect, and being nearly captured like this was too much of a risk. Prompto wants them to run, but Ardyn lets them off the hook. It was all too convenient, and they all wonder if maybe he has an idea – this is part of a plan.

The ride back to Lestallum is quiet and awkward. Gladio is embarrassed that he was overpowered, that much is painfully obvious, but uses Noctis behind the wheel as an excuse – her driving had always been a little _much_. Even Prompto refuses to look at the road ahead of them.

And as if all of this happening within less than a week wasn’t enough – they return to Lestallum and are greeted by devastating news.

Jared is dead and the empire is on Noctis’ tail, and they need to get Iris and Talcott out of there _immediately_. Luckily, Talcott is escorted out without a problem, and the others insist that Iris can hang back with them. Gladio feels better doing it that way – nobody was going to argue with him over it.

Therein left the problem of Iris sort of lacking a filter, though.

She was always very keen of Noctis, always had a crush on her, always wanted to hang out with her whenever she was visiting Gladio. This wasn’t really a problem, despite Noctis not _really_ wanting the attention. Having her boyfriend’s little sister fawn over her despite being a few years older was awkward, to say the least. Gladio insisted that Noctis humor her, at least to keep her out of their personal business (surely if she knew that Noctis and Gladio _and Ignis and Prompto_ were an item, she’d have spilled sooner or later to Clarus.)

Iris was a delight, otherwise, and even if she didn’t have a fighting chance with Noctis, she had someone to look up to.

Knowing all of this, though, Noctis knew that Iris would _definitely_ figure out that she was five and half months along with child. She would not bring it up if Iris didn’t ask, but Iris’ problem was that she didn’t ask – she told.

They’ve decided to spend a few days in Lestallum before leaving, giving Talcott and the others a headstart – Noctis and her friends were capable of defending themselves, and would undoubtedly be able to make a run for it if it was absolutely necessary. The days they spent in the small town, however, was spent planning and keeping as quiet as possible.

Within 24 hours, Iris knew something was up.

She’s in Noctis’ face while she cleans up the dishes in the small kitchen area their hotel provided. Noctis knows what’s coming and she’s not going to be able to talk her way out of this.

“Gladdy would tell me stories, yunno.” She leans against the counter top, “About Ignis having to sneak vegetables in your dishes without you noticing.”

“Mm, yeah. What a bastard, right?”

“When you’re into physical training like Gladdy is, you gotta be _pretty_ knowledgeable about dieting and stuff. Says vegetables are just as important as protein when you’re as buff as he is.” Iris motions to Prompto, quietly storing away the leftovers of their dinner – a vegetable stew. “He’d _complain_ about you not following your diet – it made you sleepy and you wouldn’t put in as much effort.”

“…yep.”

“Did Ignis finally get through to you or something? Cuz you wolfed down dinner like – “

“Iris – that’s rude as hell.” Gladio shouts from the bed, not 5 feet away.

“I’m just saying!”

Noctis sets the dishes to dry, avoiding Iris’ gaze like it would turn her to stone.

Nothing she was saying was a lie, and eating that damn stew was a nearly impossible task. Granted it was delicious, but she hated vegetables with a burning passion and no amount of Ignis’ flawless seasoning would make her okay with them. But _nooo_ , she had to _absolutely_ follow Ignis’ dieting plans and get the proper nutrients for her and her baby and if she didn’t she might as well should’ve aborted it since she was just going to devoid it of life anyway.

So yes, she ate her entire dish and savored every goddamn bite because it tasted _incredible_ and she was eating for two – and anybody who knew Noctis properly would notice because it was completely out of character and _absolutely_ fucked up from their perspective. But she had to have some sort of nutritious meal at least twice a day, and Ignis absolutely could not wait until Iris was gone to feed her something that, 5 months ago, she wouldn’t have touched.

Iris didn’t have to be a goddamned rocket scientist to figure out something was going on with Noctis when she was eating vegetables.

“Hey, Noct – you wanna go for a walk?” Prompto asks, bless his heart. “I heard that there was a small arcade around the corner from the market – and man, I’m itchin’ to kill some dinosaurs.”

Noctis eagerly spins to face Prompto, flashing a wide smile at him as she nods her head enthusiastically.

“Killing dinosaurs sounds great.”

They're out the door in seconds, and Iris is only more suspicious. When she goes to ask Ignis and Gladio about whatever happened, they’re chugging wine on the balcony.

The suspicion is driving her up the wall.

Noctis and Prompto return sort of late – as if they thought Iris would be _asleep_ by the time they got back so they could at least postpone the discussion until tomorrow morning. Gladio is passed out, and Iris is sitting next to him on the bed playing some rhythm game on her phone. She greets them as they return, and they immediately stroll out onto the balcony where Ignis is on his laptop, reading reports and going through pregnancy journals. The bottle of wine sitting next to him on the coffee table is completely empty.

“Did she ask?”

“Did you know that Gladio is a terrible liar?” Ignis inquires, “I sort of had an idea, but I’ve never seen it in action until a few hours ago. It was terrible.”

“Oh god, does Iris _know_?” Prompto takes a seat on the floor, letting Noctis have the other chair for herself.

“No. I explained that you just got over a rather nasty stomach virus, and that I was forcing you to eat everything you hated so you wouldn’t die of malnutrition.”

“…I mean, that’s not really a lie when you think about it.”

Noctis kicks Prompto in the bicep, a whine escaping his lips as he recoils from the terrible pain shooting through his shoulder.

She sinks into her chair, looking out towards the city lights – seeing the landscape of Cleigne on the horizon – lit beautifully by the disc in the distance. Her hand gently rubs circles into her growing belly, an action she’s taken to doing when she’s feeling relaxed. She never quite noticed when she started, but being caught always resulted in the shit-eating grins of her partners. Well, less shit-eating and more _warm, loving, compassionate_ – she was still embarrassed though.

Prompto’s taken to resting his head against her thigh, and her hand finds its way into her hair, playing with it – practically making him purr like a damned coeurl.

“We need to see you to a doctor before we depart.” Ignis says, looking to his girlfriend who’s seemingly been hypnotized by the scenery.

“How the hell are we gonna do that with Iris around?” Noctis asks, lifting her head to face him. “Can’t we just drop her off at Caem and then come back?”

“If only – we can’t be sure that anything won’t be in our way once we get there. And you’ve endured quite a bit of physical trauma over the last couple of weeks.” He sighs, “Not all three of us need to attend with you – though, I’d like to since I’m the one keeping tabs on your health.”

“Aww, but I wanna goooooo.” Prompto whines, clinging onto Noctis’ leg. “Can’t we just send Iris to do some errands for us while we’re there?”

“I suppose so. But she’s quite the free spirit – she’ll likely only listen to Gladio, who we now know is a terrible liar.”

“I’d _like_ all three of you to be there with me. Even if Prompto can be embarrassing with his cooing.”

He puffs out his cheeks, getting to his knees as he starts planting kisses all over Noctis’ cheeks. She can’t help but laugh, humored by his enthusiasm – but her laughter turns something fierce when he starts kissing lower, and raises her shirt above his head – his kisses turn into raspberries on her bare stomach, and she’s flailing about, trying to make him stop. She giggles uncontrollably, careful enough not to throw him over the balcony – and Ignis is too immersed in his research to tell them to stop being children.

They deserved some laughter after everything they’ve been through, even Ignis can’t help but chuckle at how hysterical the two are.

“Hey – what’s all the ruckus! Gladdy’s tryin’ to sleep yun – “

All activity stops when Iris steps onto the balcony.

Prompto’s head is halfway inside of Noctis’ shirt, revealing a fair amount of skin – most importantly, her belly. Once Prompto realizes what’s happening, he backs away at the speed of light, tugging Noctis’ shirt down in the process – but it’s too late. Iris’ mouth is hanging wide open, and she looks like she’s about to astral project into space, half-disbelief, half-“I fucking knew it.”

They’re all quiet, staring at each other – for answers, for excuses – anything to mend the situation at hand.

“Iris – Iris, listen.” Noctis starts, “Iris, you can’t tell anybody.” She stands, walking to Iris, placing her hands on her shoulders. “This is between us. Nobody else knows – nobody else _can_ know, okay?”

She’s totally shell-shocked, amber eyes wandering to Noctis’ midsection. It was so _obvious_ now. Noctis was always curvy, but she _knew_ that her breasts have never been that huge, and that the shirt she was wearing was _way_ too big – even by Noct’s standards. And the vegetables – _stomach flu_ her _ass._

When she looks back up, Noctis has tears flowing from her eyes – and that’s how Iris _knows_ this is serious. Prompto reaches for Noctis, pulling her back and into his arms. The guilt in his eyes is obvious – he should’ve been more careful.

She’s seated back on the chair while Prompto consoles her, and Ignis has shut his laptop, looking to Iris so he can give a proper explanation.

“She’s well into her second trimester, Iris.” He says, “We didn’t learn of this until last month – she chose to go through with the pregnancy… so we’re going to help her see this through.”

“W-Who…”

“It’s either myself, or Gladio.” He’s honest. “From the time frame, it’s more likely that it’s your brother.”

“ _Either_ of you?”

“Surprise, sis.” Gladio’s voice scares the shit out of _everybody_. The sound of Noctis crying was an automatic wake-up alarm for the three of them, lately. “Uh. The four of us, as in me, Noct, Iggy, and Prompto – we have a thing going on.”

“Oh…”

“I _really_ don’t want to explain our relationship to my fifteen year old sister – but you just gotta trust me. We didn’t think that we’d be together in the future, it was supposed to be a _while we’re young and stupid_ kind of thing.” He leans against the doorframe, arms folded over his chest. “I mean, we love each other… a _lot_. And we always will – but we were gonna end it when Noct became King.”

Iris looks back to Noctis, seeing how Prompto cups her face in his hands, whispering inaudible comfort to her. Ignis pets his hand through her hair, looking to Iris and Gladio every now and then. It’s obvious that she’s suffering from an anxiety attack – and she feels sort of responsible. This was way more serious than she could’ve imagined.

“Now, she’s carrying this baby. And we’re going to see her through to safety – and we’re going to protect this child while she goes to perform her duty. It’s not going to be easy – and we’re risking a lot – but “

“Gladdy, it’s okay.” Her voice is soft, “You don’t have to explain anymore. I get it.”

Gladio’s posture relaxes, his face stricken with worry lightens up.

“I’m … so happy that you guys were able find love with one another. And Noct, I’m so sorry that you have to go through all of this – if there’s anything I can do to help.”

Noctis looks up, meeting Iris’ gaze. She looks so remorseful, like _she’s_ on the verge of tears.

All she can do is nod, eyes filled with gratitude.

* * *

 

Even if Iris was in the know, she acknowledged that this doctor’s appointment was a pretty private occasion for Noctis and her partners. Running errands sounded great, but only if they told her what Noct was having, and if they had photo evidence for the car ride to Cape Caem. 

They couldn’t argue with her demands, and in a way, it felt exhilarating to have somebody else besides Noctis’ lovers know about her pregnancy. Iris was a nice buffer between the three of them, especially since she wanted children sometime in the future. She already began calling herself “ _Auntie Iris_ ”, even though Gladio told her that that shit had to stop the second they made it to Caem. Sometimes, Noctis thought Iris was more excited than the four of them.

The hospital in Lestallum is as nice as it’s gonna get for them. The technology out of Insomnia was a good ten years behind, but the improvement was showing vastly. Noctis remembered reading through textbooks in high school, before leaving the city, she thought that they were headed into a society that had absolutely _nothing_. But it was way more advanced than she could’ve ever imagined – they had televisions, cellphones, even a few luxury items that Insomnia must’ve shipped out once it became commonplace in the city.

Lestallum had the best ranked hospital outside of the city, Ignis made sure to look that up, should they have to venture anywhere else for proper medical attention.

Despite the Hospital being the fanciest thing within Cleigne itself, it was still a bit tight. Noctis got the luxury of laying on the hospital bed, while Gladio, Prompto and Ignis were shoved into a tight corner, Gladio standing behind each of them since there was a limited amount of chairs, and he was the tallest. It wasn’t comfortable, and it probably wasn’t made for a foursome. Typically the baby daddy would accompany the mother on the trip, and maybe grandma – not the Crown Prince and her three subordinates-turned-lovers-turned-fathers.

They sit in the dark while the doctor goes to work on Noctis, after the initial checkup was completed. Everything looked fine, felt fine – Noctis was completely healthy, gaining weight as intended, was given the okay to continue working out (even if working out meant fighting Nif’s in the daytime and Daemon’s in the nighttime.) As excited as Noctis _was_ to see her baby, the entire ultrasound process was uncomfortable and irritating. Last time, she was surprised how she wasn’t _bruised_.

She looks away from the screen for a moment to focus on her lovers faces – if she had the means to whip out her phone right now and grab a photo of _them_ , she would’ve.

Prompto’s got stars in his eyes, a big goofy grin on his face; one that says ‘I’m so happy that it’s not me in your position, but this is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever gotten to witness in my short life so far.’ He’s positioned behind Noctis, leaning forward with his chin resting next to her head – had he not been so excited to be here, he was sure the sound of the little one’s heartbeat would’ve lulled him to sleep.

Ignis was crying, _again_. He’s got Noctis’ hand, squeezing it tight – but rest assured, he’s listening to everything the doctor is saying and pointing out to them. He should be taking notes, but he’s so damn immersed in the beauty of this moment that he can’t be assed to do more than one thing at a time.

She has to strain to see Gladio, sort of backed into the wall, his hands on Ignis’ shoulder as he too watches. He’s _studying it_ – like, how the hell can that thing grow into a full sized infant. How is Noctis carrying a _child_ inside of her – she’s so _tiny_. And if that baby really _is_ Gladio’s, how is it not going to tear her in half when she gives birth to it.

It’s cute – Noctis is gonna tease all three of them about it so they never forget.

The doctor says something that knocks her out of her thoughts – she raises an eyebrow, having not been paying attention at all.

“Movement. Have you felt any? Little one looks like it’s kicking up a storm.”

Noctis sort of laughs, taking a deep breath as she focuses on the small chocobo egg nestled between her hips. No, there wasn’t any sort of jostling around in there that she was able to feel.

“Not one bit.”

“Hm. That’s normal for a first time mother. Should be any day now, though – you’re about in that time frame.” The doctor offers a smile, doing some technical work with the computer, making measurements and what not.

“Ohhh – babe. Little guy’s flailing his arms around – god, I wish I brought my camera!”

“Oh – right. You’re carrying a girl.”

All four of them look at the doctor, wide-eyed.

“Well shit, my bad.” Prompto chuckles nervously.

* * *

 

“And look at that – her head’s _so_ much bigger than her body. Babies are so disproportionate, it freaks me out.” Noctis points to one of the photos she got after the ultrasound. Ignis scoffs, ruffling up her hair. 

“Yes – but she’ll be of a healthy weight and size once she’s born. By the third trimester, she should be fully proportionate – so you can stop worrying.”

“I _know_ but – “

“But nothing.” He returns to packing their things for the car trip to Cape Caem. “Come now – you may be five months pregnant, but that doesn’t excuse you from packing up your clothing – which is now clean, _you’re welcome_.”

“I can’t believe you’re having a girl.” Iris hums from the other side of the room. “How exciting! That’ll be interesting though – three men and a baby girl. And you, Noctis.”

“Sheesh, sorry I’m not feminine enough to be good ol’ ‘mom.”

Iris sticks her tongue out at Noctis before she runs out to meet the others by the car. Gladio was shoving everything in, while Prompto organized their belongings in the car so Iris would fit. Ignis was doing final checks in the hotel room, and Noctis was sort of helping.

He was far less strict with her than he normally would’ve been.

Truthfully, she just wants to get to Caem so they can have some proper privacy in something that sort of resembled a home. The information they were relayed from Monica made it seem like they’d get their own room, and having the ability to laze around for a couple of days before they got back to work seemed like it was a dream come true.

She knows that when they get to Caem, they’re going to have to come up with a story to tell the others. She wasn’t going to stay five and a half months pregnant, and she was growing with each passing day and the others would ask questions.

There also was the question of what _they_ were going to do. Four months was going to fly, and they had no idea how long the repairs for the boat was going to take. Cid was a fast and dedicated worker, but this was a _boat_ – one that hadn’t been used in over twenty years. As long as Luna was safe, they weren’t in any sort of rush.

They had already been on the road for two months, and what was supposed to be a month long journey had expanded into nearly half a year.

Noctis looks at Ignis, packing their things away, checking things off a list – once they left for Caem, they wouldn’t be returning for a short while.

Her hand finds its way to her midsection again, and she stares down at the carpet, pressing her palm into her lower belly, her baby bump was firmer than it was a while ago, and after the trip to the doctor – the sense that this was reality was starting to hit a little harder than she initially anticipated.

A baby girl – she’d be the second girl born into the family in nearly a century. Noctis was the first after a few decades – her birth made news headlines, Insomnia rejoiced at the thought of a Queen – even though Noct rejected the title and decided that she’d rather be King instead.

It’s a thought that makes her happy, but she thinks about giving birth. She doesn’t know what her future entailed, and fighting her way to have this child seemed like it would be unfair for the baby if Noctis up and left after she gave birth to her. Best case scenario, they get Leviathan’s blessing, they grab Luna, they defeat the empire, they come back and Noctis can raise her baby girl the way she wants to.

Probable scenario – the wedding is called off, they have to venture into Gralea, risk their lives destroying the empire, and Noctis comes back to raise her baby girl the way she wants to.

Noctis refuses to think about the worst case scenario, which is so overwhelming it makes her feel sick.

Within the month she was aware of her pregnancy, she grew to really like the idea of having a baby. Noctis was pretty quiet, pretty reserved – she was too shy to admit her longing for a big family. She grew up with only her father around, and now she was surrounded by three people who loved her unconditionally, and a baby was on the way as proof. It was everything she could’ve wanted – granted, in a perfect world, she wouldn’t have wanted to have a baby until she was a bit older.

However, this was what she was given, and she was going to make the best out of the situation. She just felt lucky that her partners had her back.

She catches Ignis looking at her.

“Are you feeling alright, Noct?”

Ignis was less strict with her, sure, but in it’s place, he was far more prone to being worried when she looked a bit out of it. She couldn’t be annoyed with him – he was trying just as hard, if not harder, to keep everything in check. He was the only one who really understood the whole pregnancy mumbo-jumbo, having done copious amounts of research the second they found out.

He was also the one who was able to tell when she wasn’t feeling herself just by reading the signs. She appreciated him for everything he did, and for every anxiety attack he coaxed her out of.

She’s got her hand on her belly still as he sits next to her on the hotel bed, yet he doesn’t touch her. He wasn’t as nervous as Gladio was, that was for sure, but he was much more cautious when it came to her consent. She didn’t really like being touched to begin with, and he kind of figured that the whole pregnancy ordeal emphasized that feeling.

Her eyes widen when she feels something flutter against her skin.

Her features twitch a bit when she feels it again, and suddenly she’s gazing down at her gut, her hand chasing the feeling coming from within her.

“I think I’m feeling her move.” She says, fingertips dancing along the fabric of her shirt. She doesn’t feel anything on the outside, it’s so faint but it feels different than any sort of bowel movement. It’s _so_ much more different.

Ignis watches her hand press into her belly, and he’s half tempted to feel for himself though he knows that it’s much too early to feel anything from touching her.

Noctis looks up at him, her eyes shimmering with tears. After all her worrying, her baby girl is letting her presence be known – as if she’s telling her mother to relax, that everything’s going to work out in the end. Noctis sniffles, wiping her eyes with her wrist, but she’s met with a comforting kiss to the cheek.

Ignis places his hand over hers, his lips grazing against her soft skin. She’s pressed into him, taking control of his hand, resting it against where she felt the last movement despite knowing it would be some time before he would be able to say hello to her baby girl.

She kisses him, and he can feel her _smiling_. When he pulls away, he sees the tears flowing freely down her cheeks – but they’re different this time. She’s happy.

“Looks like she’s finally saying hello.” Ignis hums, rubbing circles into her lower belly. “Enjoy the gentleness while it lasts, as I’m sure any child of yours will become quite rambunctious.”

Noctis laughs, resting her head against Ignis’ shoulder.

“Well, now I know this is real.” Noctis gives a sigh of content, “Gonna spend the rest of the trip thinking of names.”

“Names for what?”

The two look towards the door leading into their hotel room. They’re awfully close, and awfully intimate, but luckily it’s only Gladio and Prompto.

“Iris is waiting in the car, what’s takin’ so long?”

Noctis flashes a grin at the others, gesturing to her belly.

“Baby girl finally decided to say hello.” She chuckled, “Tiny little thing is kicking up a storm.”

Prompto’s eyes light up and he practically dives for the bed, pressing both his hands to her stomach, nearly toppling Ignis over in the process.

“C’mon baby girl – I’m here, say hi!”

“You wont feel anything just yet, Prompto.” Ignis states, matter-of-factly. “Try again in a week or two.”

“Awwww.” He frowns, pressing his nose into Noctis’ abdomen, “Next time, royal brat. You move, and I’ll _be here_.”

Gladio smiles at the three of them, once again, too much of a scardy cat to show his own excitement and feel her up. She’d get him when they were alone, again.

“Maybe it _is_ Ignis’ kid.” He grins, “Any kid of mine would’ve punched a hole right through ya.”

“Very funny.” Ignis stands so he can gather their things, “Let’s get moving. We can fawn over Noct once we make it to Caem.”


	2. 02: And then I fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :') so i know that the end of this chapter kind of goes from zero to 100 and i'm sincerely sorry
> 
> is it just me or does cor always look really miserable and tired. like its alright dude, go take a nap.

Maybe Noctis wasn’t queen of Lucis – maybe she was queen of shit hitting the fan.

What was this sort of bad luck that she was experiencing? Sure, they made it to Caem in one piece, but the journey there was rocky as hell. They got a bit cocky and infiltrated another base, and they _won_ but at the cost of Noct nearly getting the shit beaten out of her. But Aranea pulled back, saying something about not getting paid overtime – but she had a _look_ in her eyes.

She definitely noticed – all four of them were able to come to that conclusion. Aranea lifted Noctis by the shirt, and she set her down almost immediately after realizing something wasn’t quite right. And boy did she play it off well, but her departure was abrupt and it left the others feeling confused.

Noctis wound up hyperventilating the entire drive back to Iris, and they decided to let out some steam by taking Iris to fight some creatures with them.

It was when they returned to Caem though, that Noctis was finally fed up with all of the shit that was happening. The boat they need is going to take at least two months to repair – that was expected. They had things they could’ve been doing in that time, so nobody was stressed about it. They’re going to have to find mythril for it, but Iris insists that Noctis take it easy for a while.

The mythril can wait, Noctis wasn’t looking too hot, and they were finally in a location where it sort of felt like home, and with the updated technology inside, didn’t feel like they would have to leave to entertain themselves. Cape Caem was beautiful, and it was relaxing to be there. They didn’t have to worry about anybody finding them. Hiding her pregnancy from the others was sort of difficult, but they were going to talk about how to tell everybody within the next couple of days. Relaxation came first.

Cor would be there in about a week – that was when they knew they would have to spill. Cor checked in every now and then with them, and he wasn’t _stupid_. He had been around enough pregnant women to know what was up – he was around Noctis’ mother before she had her, and from what Noct understood, he was pretty close to her. The general consensus was that Noctis took after her mother a great deal – Cor was going to notice.

She’s sitting by the dock when she’s approached by an old friend.

“Umbra…”

Noctis reaches out for the dog, letting him know that it was alright to approach her. She hadn’t heard from Luna in a while, and she was starting to worry that their plans were going to fall through. The letters Luna sent were usually short, to the point – but this one was longer.

_Noctis._

_I am still safe in Altissia, so do not worry for me._

_I cannot help but worry for you, however. Do not fret, for your secret is safe with me._

_Your safety is most important, take all the time you need._  

“Fuck.” She knows.

The thing about Oracles was that they could travel anywhere with their spirit, or whatever. She was there during Noctis’ fight with Titan, and she was there when he received Ramuh’s blessing. Titan, sure, she was showing a bit but only if you were up _real_ close. Ramuh? A little more obvious at the time but easily disguisable with her baggy clothing.

Luna must’ve encountered Noctis somewhere else – maybe during their battle with Aranea. Luna’s presence only felt strong when Noctis was in danger. Maybe it was some sixth sense that women had – can immediately tell when around someone who’s pregnant. Iris was able to do it, Aranea was able to do it too – so surely, Luna wasn’t any different.

Noctis legitimately has no idea how to respond, so she writes a quick “Heeeeyyyy. I’m fine! It’s all good! See you in five months, probably! Take care!”

Normally, she’d be a little more nice, _little more_ romantic. But she panicked and Umbra was already on his way out before she decided that she should scrap that message and write something fucking poetic.

On the bright side, Luna just gave her the okay to stay in Lucis until her baby was born. That was all set in stone. Good.

“The chosen king has changed the future of her kingdom.”

Noctis practically jumps out of her skin, seeing Gentiana standing to the side. She clutches her chest, breathing heavily as she tries to recompose herself.

“Shit – ah, sorry. Fuck.” She huffs, “You gotta get louder heels or something. Didn’t hear you coming.”

Gentiana only smiles in response, walking to Noctis’ side, staring out at the ocean.

So, maybe it was Gentiana who went and tattled on Noctis’ current state of health.

“A child from the royal line was not expected, though this is far from unfortunate.” She speaks, her accent softening the meaning of her words. Damn you fucked up, Noctis, but it’s okay. Maybe we can use this to our advantage. “It is best that the chosen king remains in her land until the child is born. Her safety is guaranteed in the company of the ones our savior trusts in the most.”

_Damn_ Gentiana was good at this.

“I give birth here. I entrust my baby to the care of Iris and the others.”

The messenger nods, her warm smile makes Noctis feel a little better about the idea.

“Dear king of light, forgive us for this journey will not be without pain.”

Noctis immediately takes that thought back.

“Your child will be safe.” She finally opens her eyes, “You have the word of the gods.”

Noctis looks up to Gentiana, furrowing her eyebrows. She doesn’t know what the fuck any of that meant, so maybe the probable scenario wasn’t what Noctis initially thought. Maybe the probable scenario was the worst case scenario, except her baby was safe.

So the worst case scenario was even more terrible than she thought.

“Thanks.”

Gentiana is gone before she knows it, and instead, Prompto’s peaking his head from out of the basement.

“Heeeyy – dinners ready. Ignis made your favorite.” He flashes a smile, but Noctis looks distraught. He’s immediately by her side.

“Somethin’ happen?” He asks, kicking his feet over the side of the dock.

“Umbra was here. I think Luna knows I’m pregnant. Said to ‘take as much time as I needed’ here.” She looks out to the sea, “Then Gentiana showed up. Said my baby’s protected by the will of the gods, or whatever. Also said that this journey’s gonna suck – for me, probably.”

“I mean… that’s something. Your baby is under the gods protection – what a blessing!”

She laughs slightly, feeling a few kicks here and there from the baby within her.

“Yeah. I… I don’t want this to end badly on my part… but as long as she’s safe, yeah?”

“We wanna keep you safe too, Noct. We’re not gonna let anything bad happen to you.” Prompto frowns, “I’m really no good at this stuff. You and Gladio and Ignis have all this training, and I’m just kind of clueless. But I’ve got that strong peasant will – I don’t know what any of this astral nonsense is – but I’m gonna help make sure you and kiddo are gonna get to live happy peaceful lives. Even if it’s the last thing I do!”

Prompto’s enthusiasm was always so nice, and it was always needed. He was sort of her way of understanding her own humanity – he was real about things.

Ever since they were teenagers, she liked spending time with Prompto because he lived the simple life she sort of dreamed about. She was grateful for all of the privilege she had, being a child of royalty and everything, but she didn’t always like being reminded that she was going to be king in a matter of years. Prompto helped her connect with how she felt as a person. He brought out the best in her.

It made her sad to know that he struggled, trying to fit in with herself and the others. But he still did so well, and he never failed to help her feel better.

She leans in, pressing her lips to her cheek.

“I love you, Prompto.” Noctis says, “I’m so grateful to have you with me.”

He smiles, “I love you too, Noct.” He wraps his arms around her, gently. “Now c’mon. Lets get you two fed – before I get all sappy on you. Gotta save that nonsense for the bedroom!”

* * *

 

“So we’re discussing this. Tonight” 

Gladio’s laying on Ignis as he reads through some reports Cor sent them in light of the recent battle they had with the empire. He once again texted the four of them to let them know that he was going to be there in a week so he could give them all of the information they needed to know and send them on their way.

The idea gave _all_ of them anxiety.

And after Noctis’ encounter with both Umbra and Gentiana, she decided that, yes, they needed to talk about this tonight. They were given the ‘ok’ to stay in Lucis for as long as necessary and they knew Cor well enough to trust him with their lives – or in this case, her baby’s life.

She didn’t want to have to talk about it. She wished that she could just have a big reveal to her immediate friends and family and be congratulated and be showered with love and affection. But being the chosen king, king of lucis, king of light – whatever – she was going to have to tell everybody, get reprimanded for it, probably get her partners in trouble, be told that this was putting everybody in more danger than necessary, and Cor was going to shout to the heavens about how he let down Noctis’ mother and father.

She spent the entire day imagining the situation from start to finish – she didn’t get much sleep because of it. So it had to be discussed _now_.

“We’re leaving for the vesperpool in the morning.” Ignis sighs, pushing Gladio’s hair from his face. “We’ve no idea how long it will take to find the mythril that Cid needs. By the time we return, Cor will be here waiting for us.”

Noctis sighs loud enough for everyone in the room to hear it. She’s antsy as hell, unable to sit still for more than a few seconds at a time. Prompto’s taken to massaging her lower back, trying to make her feel more at ease. They were all nervous, sure, but Noctis was the one with the child in question.

“I don’t think Cor’s gonna handle it well.” She mutters, “Like, I think he’ll get over it. But he’s gonna be pissed.”

“Of course he’s gonna be pissed. King Regis trusted him to look after you and now you’re pregnant.”

“In my defense, I was pregnant for a while before my father died.” Noctis shrugs, slipping her hand underneath her shirt, exposing her belly while Ignis and Gladio watched her with fascination. “Anyway. We can’t really beat around the bush.”

“No we can’t.” Ignis sort of pushes Gladio off of him, taking the report with him. “He seems to be optimistic, though. His text didn’t _seem_ unfriendly.”

“He’s optimistic and friendly until he sees my goddamn potbelly.”

Prompto wraps his arms around Noctis’ waist, pulling her against him.

“It’s a cute potbelly, though.”

“Regardless, Noct is right. We need to be straight forward with him and tell him everything we’ve planned to do.” Ignis looks to his pregnant lover. “We’re doing a fine job, taking down the Niflheim bases and what not, and it isn’t as though we’re sitting around Lucis contributing nothing to this broken society. We’re keeping the daemons at bay, and the creatures terrorizing the towns have had their population split in half. So long as we keep that up while we’re here, I don’t think he can argue with us.”

“Think Cor’s gonna want to look over an infant while we’re in Altissia?” Noctis scoffs.

“Probably not.”

“Well, Gladio. Iris seems ecstatic at the prospect of helping raise Noct’s child.”

Iris was only 15 – they weren’t going to make her look over a newborn all by herself for god knows how long. The others would help, but Cor was the one they knew they could rely on the most. He’s known Noctis and her friends since they were fresh out of the womb – he may have been unmarried without any children of his own, but he had the most experience. They _needed_ Cor to lend them a hand.

Just until they got back from Altissia… that’s all.

“Okay. So we get Cor alone – we tell him everything. How far along I am, _why_ I’m going through with the pregnancy, that we’re going to stay in Lucis until she’s born and then we’re going to take Luna back and defeat the empire.” Noctis says, “He’s mad. He yells at us for a few hours. He says that the deed has already been done and agrees to help us. We tell Monica and the others, maybe make everyone faint.”

“With everybody up to speed, we wont have to shuffle you throughout the house anymore.”

And what a luxury that would be. The worst thing about concealing her pregnancy was having to pretend that she didn’t just gain 20 pounds overnight. It was painfully obvious how everyone _stared at her_. She couldn’t leave their sleeping space without wearing an oversized robe and one of Gladio’s nightshirts. They hadn’t exactly had the time to go _shopping_ for Noctis, and any and all maternity wear was meant to show off her growing belly – as of right now, that was the last thing that she wanted.

Once they got the mythril for the boat, they could take things a bit slower and wait for Cid to finish with his work, but they needed to get everything done before Noctis was going to be obviously pregnant.

“So, tomorrow we head to the vesperpool and get the mythril we need.” Noctis pulls away from Prompto, but not before pressing a kiss to his cheek. “When we get back to Caem, we tell Cor everything. Then we wait.”

“That sounds about right.”

Noctis nods to her partners, headed towards the window that looks out towards the sea. The sun was beginning to set, and they were just about ready to start on dinner. This would be the last time for a few days that they’d be able to relax, so they were trying to make the best of it. Getting through the blockade that closed off the roads getting to where they needed to be was going to be troublesome. Noctis just needed to fight for a little bit longer before she could dedicate the remainder of her pregnancy to relaxing and preparing for the little one’s arrival.

If her baby was truly protected by the astrals, then it was going to work out just fine.

What Gentiana told her about her journey being difficult made her worried, but knowing that her child would be out of harms way put her mind at ease.

“What do you guys think of Cira?”

All three look up at Noctis, her gaze pointed out towards the horizon – where Altissia lay in the distance.

“Cira Lucis Caelum.” Ignis hums, “I think that sounds lovely.”

She smiles, her baby kicks in what she likes to think is approval.

* * *

 

Ardyn was something else – nobody liked him. 

When they arrived at the blockade and saw the path being cleared for them, they felt suspicious. When he was _waiting there_ at the entrance, they felt even more suspicious. When he sent them on their way with Aranea, they _knew_ that he was making all of this easy for them on purpose – like he wanted them to make it to Altissia safely.

When someone on their enemy’s side was helping them out, it was never a good sign. And they didn’t even have Gladio to back them up should they need it.

Granted, they didn’t need it – but if it _hadn’t_ been Ardyn, there was no telling what would’ve happened.

Ignis and Prompto stick close to Noctis’ side, since these ruins were proving to be much more rickety than they anticipated. She’s nearing six months of pregnancy, they’re in the home stretch – if they make it out of here in one piece, it was smooth sailing until they left for Altissia. But still, Gladio would’ve made a good meat shield for her.

They’re deep in it, regardless, and Aranea was proving to be… a pretty trustworthy ally. Maybe not 100% trustworthy, probably about 65%, but it was a start. Turns out she hated the empire – she hated what they were doing to people. She hated Ardyn, which bumped her trustworthiness to 70%.

They crash and fall to the floor, and Ignis has his arms wrapped around Noctis tightly, making sure that his scrawny ass hit the floor before she did. They laid there for a while to regain their composure, Prompto dusting himself off and helping Aranea up, even though she swatted him away almost immediately. Noctis can feel Ignis’ heart racing against her back, and she stays still – a few aggravated punches from her baby coax her out of it.

Taking a deep breath, she sits up, pulling Ignis with her in the process.

“How far along are you?”

Noctis’ eyes widen, and she looks up – Aranea holding her hand out to her.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m a compassionate person – honestly.”

She shouldn’t be surprised. The way Aranea looked at them back at the imperial base was proof enough that she had a suspicion. She was going to bring it up sooner or later.

“Just about six months.”

“Hah! No shit!” She yanks Noctis up off the floor, letting Ignis fend for himself. Aranea dusts Noctis off, smoothing her shirt over her belly. With the cloth tight against her skin like that, it was completely obvious. “You don’t look a day over three. Who’s kid you got in there? Blondie?”

“Um. I’m physically incapable of giving children to others.” Prompto smiles sheepishly.

“Ah – my bad. Bet you’re happy it’s her and not you, then, huh?”

“Man, it’s a _huge_ relief.” He laughs, and Noctis kind of glares at him. “Uh – I mean. I’m dedicated to my cause as a loving and caring partner who will cater to Noct’s every need because I know that if I were in her place, she’d do the same.”

All four of them are back on their feet again and make their way up the stairs – trying to get back on track. Aranea’s definitely humored by the prospect of Noctis being with child and traveling deep into the ruins in order to find some goddamn mythril. She mentioned something about leaving Noct at home and making her harem do all the work for her. Ignis and Prompto wanted to die.

“I kind of noticed back at the imperial base.” Aranea speaks up, “Women definitely have this sixth sense. Straight, gay, cis, trans – we all know.”

At least she was being honest.

“I got knocked up once. Back when I was a teenager. Ah, I was 18. Whole thing sucked. Met some _beautiful_ guy back in Lestallum. Kinda looked like your big guy – the one that’s not here with us.” She hums, “Gorgeous brown skin, striking green eyes – I was really dumb and impressionable back then. Swept me off my feet, screwed me for like a week straight. I’m having dinner with some of the newbies in the empire and suddenly I’m puking on one of their laps.”

“Any child would be lucky to have a mother such as yourself.” Ignis presses close behind Noctis, his hand resting on her hip.

“Meh – got reckless about three months in. Miscarried – violently too. Sucked real bad.”

The three of them are quiet, and though Aranea is smiling about it, there’s definitely hurt in her voice.

“I’m sorry, Aranea. I can’t imagine – “

“I mean. I think you can. Even if it’s unwanted and surprising, once you accept it – it kind of gets exciting, no matter how scared shitless you are.” She hums, “I’m not here to be a Debbie downer, though. That was ages ago – I’m over it. If I have kids in the future, I’ll be more prepared. Hey – maybe ours can be friends.”

“Only if you leave the empire.” Noctis sticks her tongue out, earning a friendly roughing up of the hair from Aranea.

“In any case, you’re gonna have one cute baby. When I leave, I’m gonna track you the hell down so I can say hi.”

“I’d like that.” She smiles, “Thanks.”

They’re able to grab the mythril and go. Aranea got a _little_ more aggressive in battle, even though Noct assured her that she could handle herself. It made for an easy victory, though.

With Aranea’s newfound alliance, they felt confident in the overall victory against the empire. She spilled a _bunch_ of secrets to them, practically telling them the answer to everything they asked. She said that things didn’t start getting weird until the chancellor showed up – or rather, that once the chancellor showed up, they started _really_ fucking with things. From Noctis and her friends’ perspectives, the empire was always in the wrong, and Aranea was starting to see things a little more clearly when they explained Lucian history, but maybe Aranea was blind to it all.

She gives them a lift back to Lestallum and bonds with Noctis over her pregnancy. It’s nice, having an older figure in her life who can give advice, even if she only made it a third of the way through her own pregnancy. Aranea sends them off with good luck, and promises that she’ll send some baby goods their way – for a girl.

There, Noctis takes on yet _another_ dangerous task that Ignis and Prompto practically beg her not to do.

Clearing out the power plant that was going to explode in a matter of minutes if they weren’t careful enough. So not everything was smooth sailing. And to top it all off, Noctis had to work with some nasty ass stranger that was giving her attitude the whole time. He was making jokes about how the suit she was forced to put on made her look like an inflated balloon.

Turns out that jackass was Gladiolus Amicitia. _Typical_.

Gladio removes the suit and he’s got a bunch of new scars marked against his skin, and Noctis wants to beat the shit out of him for being so reckless and stupid. He could’ve gotten himself killed, doing whatever it was he was doing, and Noctis would’ve had to go to Altissia with no shield, and god forbid her baby took after Gladio, would have to eventually explain that daddy #1 got mauled after having a temper tantrum all because he got a sword pointed to his throat by someone who looked like he stepped out of some poorly rendered animated child’s film.

Gladio, Gladio, Gladio.

He’s beside himself when he hears that Aranea helped them out and gave Noctis assloads of pregnancy advice. He feels guilty that he wasn’t there when he learns that Ardyn was the one who set them up for that entire fiasco.

They stay in a hotel room for the night, and Gladio’s taken to cooing into Noctis’ belly, telling their baby girl that he wasn’t _ever_ going to leave again and that he was being big and stupid but now he was stronger and he could knock out anybody’s teeth that tried to harm her and her mom.

The man nearly gets killed while off on his own, and suddenly he’s gotten over his fear of pregnant women and he’s all over Noctis who seems tired and agitated and just wants to smack Gladio upside the head and tell him that if he _ever_ does that again she’ll label him a traitor. Gladio is sincerely sorry.

The four of them sit on the floor of the balcony, huddled together underneath one of the thick hotel blankets from the bed that they decided they weren’t going to use.

Noctis is seated in Gladio’s lap, looking out at the stars.

“We’re still sticking with Cira, right?”

She nods, rubbing soothing circles into her belly.

“Cira.”

They got word from Iris that Cor just arrived in Caem, therefore they were taking this peaceful night in Lestallum to just be with each other before shit hit the fan. It was going to be an ugly week – they deserved to camp out in the safety of the town that they’ve grown so fond of in the last couple of weeks.

“Once uncle Cor gets over himself, he’ll be happy to see another Caelum wrecking Insomnia’s shit again.” Noctis hums, “I’m sure he thought that with my marriage to Luna, the royal line of Lucis was gonna die out. I’m also sure that he’d rather die than see any of you provide children for me – since it’s probably against royal law for the king’s subordinates to fuck them.”

Her partners groan in unison.

“What’s that, Cira? You can’t wait to steal the hearts of everyone in Lucis?” Noct grins, pressing her palm to her side, feeling a few kicks to the surface of her skin. “Me too.”

Then she blinked, tilting her head up to meet Gladio’s gaze.

“I felt that one.” She said, “Like. Against my belly.”

All three of them shuffle around, placing Noctis on the chair while keeping her wrapped in the blanket.

“Does that mean – “ Gladio starts, but she’s yanked his hand against her before he can blink. The kicks are small, but apparent – a foot against his palm, or a hand, elbow, he doesn’t know – but he doesn’t care. “What the fuck!”

“No way! Gladio, you look like you’re gonna faint!”

“I am! Feel that shit – that’s bizarre as hell!”

Prompto moves in next, and Noctis rolls her eyes but she knew that saying something was going to turn her into some sacred statue that her boyfriends would have to touch for five years good luck. He nearly takes off like a rocket launcher when he too feels movement coming from her belly. He’s got stars in his eyes, and he’s looking up at Noctis with the biggest smile he’s ever been able to manage.

“Iggy – c’mere.”

“I’d like to give the lady room to breathe.” He hums, but Noctis pulls him forward against his will. His face is pressed up against her midsection, due to how he stumbled forth, but his hand is pressed against her as she wished.

She laughs, feeling him hiccup against her – he was such a damn sap sometimes.

“You feel it, right?”

“She elbowed me right in the cheek.” He whines, shoving his glasses back into place. “Noct – I’m speechless.”

“Me too.” She smiles, tears spilling from her eyes again. “You guys have given me the greatest gift I could’ve never wanted.”

Gladio scoops Noctis back up and they retake their positions on the floor, engulfing her in all of their love and warmth. Noctis is crying like a damn baby, but it’s the happiest she’s felt in months and she’s surrounded by the people she loves the most on this planet. They’ve given her something that she can love and cherish – something she can fight for.

Even if things with Luna go as planned, she’ll have Cira to remind her of the most important things in her life.

“I love you all. More than you can ever imagine.”

* * *

 

They turned Cor into some frightening monster that they were going to have to battle. A creature more terrifying than a behemoth. The four of them were scared _shitless_ when they pulled into Caem. 

Noctis is decked out, head to toe, in several layers of clothing so it wont be obvious _immediately_. Only problem was that it was hot as balls in Caem – so they were gonna have to grab Cor and force him into the basement so they could have their conversation in peace. Having Talcott around would’ve proven to be a nuisance, so they _begged_ Iris to keep him occupied while they went about it. He was cute, excitable, _determined_ – but having him hang around them was going to make things complicated. They all felt bad, that he was taken from his home, his friends and his family, and now he didn’t really have anybody to hang out with. They tried their best to entertain him whenever they _were_ in Caem, but they were too damn busy for it.

She feels like she’s gonna faint when she steps out of the car, and she isn’t sure if it’s the heat or if it’s the anxiety. It might be a mixture of both – it sucked.

They trudge up the hill leading to their small, beat up home, and find Cor sitting on the patio with Iris. She’s chatting up a storm with him, but he just looks like he wants to take a shot of any type of alcohol and drown himself in the ocean. That was just typical Cor, though.

When he sees the four approaching him, he looks slightly less miserable.

“Glad to see you made it back in one piece.” He says, standing up to greet them properly. He cocks an eyebrow at Noctis, definitely noticing the sweat pouring down her face. “Did you have no room for your extra laundry in the car, or…”

Iris practically does a spittake, and tries not to laugh once she realizes what they’re trying to do.

“Uh! I’m gonna take Talcott to the food stalls down by the street – hear they start selling ice cream around this time of year!” Iris hops up, running inside of the house to catch the boy before he sees that they made it back. She was too good to them.

Unfortunately for them, Cor was super observant, and he knew that everybody’s behavior was weird and out of character. The way the four stand next to each other like they’re attached at the hip, the fact that Noctis is wearing a thick cardigan and it’s sweltering outside, the way Prompto is definitely hyperventilating. Oh, he’s gonna have a good time with this bunch.

They don’t even ask him to, but they wind up in the lighthouse basement anyway. Cid’s returned to Hammerhead with Cindy for the weekend, so there was nobody else around. They’re all cramped up on the couch together, while Cor sits across from them, arms folded over his chest. They couldn’t even pretend like they wanted to just have a nice friendly catch-up with Cor moment. He _knows_.

“So. You sick?”

He asks Noctis, staring dead in her eyes.

“Marshal, I’m afraid our plans regarding our trip to Altissia had to be… rerouted a bit.” Ignis speaks up for all four of them. “We’ve been doing everything as fast as we can manage, but we need a bit more time.”

“That’s not a problem. Cid said the boat’ll take at least another two months to finish preparing. Damn thing hasn’t been driven in decades.”

“…We need four months.” He says.

“Wait, why four? Noct only needs till J – “

Gladio kicks Prompto in the shin, shutting him up immediately.

“No. Humor me. Why four months? What does Noct need?” Cor leans forward, the fierceness in his gaze makes all of them sink back into the cushions.

Noctis has grown impossibly sweaty, and she can’t take it anymore. She takes off the first layer of clothing that she has on, tossing it behind them. For every excuse Ignis tries to come up with, she’ll remove another layer – until she’s sitting there half naked so Cor can figure it out for himself. Yeah – it’s a great idea.

“Well! Luckily, the Oracle told us that it’s _totally_ chill. She said take all the time we need to get adjusted.” Prompto smiles, “And like, we don’t wanna _rush_ it to Altissia without being completely confident that we can face whatever waits for us there.”

Noctis takes off another layer, a thin cardigan pulled over a sweatshirt.

“Have you not spent the last three months of your journey preparing?”

“No. It’s nothing like that. We’re just about ready – we’re just… waiting for something to be finished.”

“The boat.”

“Well. Yes and no. The boat must be finished for us to move on, but Noctis won’t be ready when it is.”

Noctis begins taking off the sweatshirt, taking a deep breath as she did so. Once it was over her head, she held it close to her chest, raising an eyebrow as he desperately tried to come up with more excuses – a better way to drop the bomb without Cor throwing himself into the boat motor.

Gladio’s tapping his foot like mad, and he’s making everyone more nervous. Luckily, he was keeping his mouth shut – they had no idea what he could’ve possibly had to say that wouldn’t have dug them into early graves.

“Noctis. Stop letting the others come up with excuses for you. What the hell is going on? Why are you wearing five jackets?” He growls, scooting the chair closer to them. “I really can’t stand this beating around the bush bullshit.”

“Cor. You told my father that you’d help us no matter what, right? And we can trust you.” She asks, biting her cheek. “Even if you don’t like what you’re about to hear.”

Cor is quiet, examining the four of them carefully. Prompto looks like he’s going to puke, Ignis is calm but the fact that he’s white as a ghost speaks novels, Gladio’s lips are vacuum sealed shut, and Noctis is trying not to cry.

“It’s that serious.” He says, “Alright. I’m listening.”

Noctis takes a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. She tosses the sweatshirt behind her and stands up, smoothing the fabric of her t-shirt down. Cor kind of stares at her for a few seconds, like he doesn’t get that she’s showing and not telling – but his features harden with every passing second, and he’s figuring it out, slowly but surely.

“Six months. Found out after Insomnia fell.” She speaks, “By the way, I’m sleeping with all my friends.”

He runs a hand through his hair, exhaling like he’d been holding his breath in for a full minute. The sleeping with her friends part, he figured. That was just how kids were these days, and the four of them were _very_ close. It also wasn’t like he hadn’t walked in on Noctis wrecking Ignis’ shit more than a couple of times – but truthfully, he was expecting her to elope with Prompto as an end result. That much made a lot of sense.

The _pregnancy_ however.

“I was gonna terminate it when I found out. But – I just… I thought about marrying Luna… and how I don’t think that I love her the way I love my friends… and I didn’t want to have a child that would’ve been from a loveless marriage…” Noctis sits back down, clenching her fists. “And I know it’s irresponsible, and it’s putting all of us in danger. But I want this baby more than I’ve wanted anything in my entire life – it might be my only chance at continuing the royal bloodline.”

“It’s not technically a bastard child if she’s the one carrying it.” Ignis adds on.

“I need four months so I can stay here and have the baby. And maybe it’s selfish of me – but I want… a little bit of time to spend with her before we leave for Altissia…”

“Her. You’re having a girl?”

She nods, trying her best to smile.

Cor stands up, making his way to the dock. He’s still in sight from where they sit on the couch, and nobody can really figure out what he’s thinking. Maybe he’s praying to the gods about how he fucked up, asking for Regis’ forgiveness – just like Noctis predicted he would. It’s rough, but he’s working it out in his head. They trusted him, and he was given the task to take care of Noctis in light of Regis’ death. They wouldn’t be _telling_ him if they didn’t trust him.

He’s _beyond_ frustrated about it, but she’s scared. They all are. They know that this was a mistake, and that they were making things much more difficult than it had to be. She should’ve terminated it, but Noctis was too rebellious to do things the way she should’ve done them. She was much more associated with her humanity than any of her ancestors, raised much more like a child and less like a prince – something Cor initially detested King Regis for. Of course she would’ve felt sympathy for the baby growing within her – of course she would’ve wanted to keep it and give her and her partners a chance at a normal family life. She had a strong heart, and was too kind and well intentioned.

He doesn’t blame her at all for making the decisions that she did.

He turns around to face her once more, approaching them slowly, less threateningly than he was initially.

She was twenty years old, was going to give birth to a baby girl in a matter of months, and then she was going to go off and slay the empire so she could take back the throne and bring Lucis (and possibly all of Eos) to peace again. And she was right… the royal line was doomed if she didn’t want to have children with Luna.

“Four months it is.”

Cor sits back on the chair, and the four of them exhale in unison, deflating their postures like they were all pumped with helium and were going to wither away with the sheer amount of _relief_ they just felt.

“Thank you, Cor. I… I’m so grateful.” She practically wheezes, “We wont let you down. When she’s born, we’re going to beat the shit out of the empire – we’re gonna restore Insomnia – I’m gonna do everything right.”

“You don’t gotta thank me.” He sighs, “I know you’re going to do great. I didn’t doubt you for a second.”

Prompto has nearly passed out on Gladio, who’s nearly fallen off the chair in disbelief of it all. They’re all so tired, and Noctis is just happy that she doesn’t have to wear those awful layers. Granted, they still have to tell Monica and the others, and but they were far less scary than Cor would ever be. It might be a bit awkward, but that was the worst of it.

They were adults and they could handle themselves.

Now, all that was left to do was get Noct comfortable and figure out where she was going to give birth. A midwife would’ve been their best option, and surely there was one in the area. No amount of research would prepare Ignis for childbirth.

“Your father would pamper you, you know. His only child, welcoming a new life into the royal family. Learning of your pregnancy would’ve been the second happiest day in his life.” Cor leans back, studying Noctis a little more closely. She was certainly noticeably pregnant with all of the layers gone, but she’s got the same glow her mother did when she was carrying her. “…do you know who the father is?”

“Gladio.” They all say in unison.

“Of course.”

* * *

 

With Cor on their side, and everybody else in the know, things could only progress in a positive direction. And for the most part, they were. 

Noctis and company would still go off and do hunts, other errands for the people around Lucis. Noctis’ pregnancy was still a well hidden secret to those who didn’t know of her true identity, though there were the occasional lot who would threaten them with blackmail, or go out of their way to shower the four of them with special treatment (there really was no in between) and to those who _didn’t_ know who Noctis was, she’d just say that she was going with them to provide love and support.

Pregnant hunters wasn’t an _uncommon_ thing around Lucis, they learned, but they had different protocols for them that would ensure the safety of mother and child.

Nothing would stop Noct – well, Ignis would. For every two weeks they did of fighting, he’d make Noctis relax for one, pamper her with food and attention. It was nice, getting treated like legitimate royalty by her lovers, but it was rough knowing that progression in Lucis was sort of at a standstill until their baby was born.

Luna wished her well, having been greeted by Umbra after another few weeks. They wrote to each other a bit regularly after that, having so much to say to each other regarding the upcoming blessing from Leviathan. Despite her complicated feelings for the Oracle, there was an understanding between the two of them that their marriage would be for the better of the world, and that their commitments to one another shouldn’t have held them back from doing what they truly wanted to do. She said that Noctis’ baby would be loved by people far and wide, and confirmed that yes, the Astrals would be watching over her.

Being bedridden at eight and a half months was boring, to say the least. Gladio and Prompto would frequently team up, leaving for days at a time to complete hunts for gil, and then they’d arrive back with shitloads of baby supplies from some place near Hammerhead. Ignis would occasionally go, or swap with the others, but for the most part, he was set on keeping an eye on Noctis and looking for any signs of pre-labor contractions and what not.

The only good thing about all of this, was that it gave them time to really appreciate one another. Had they been rushing out to _death_ in Accordo, they would’ve never gotten this comfortable with one another. Having known one another since childhood, and having been dating for a few years was definitely a different situation – while they all nearly lived at Noctis’ apartment in Insomnia, they didn’t have the same kind of bond that they did now.

Now that they were spending nearly every waking moment with each other, they memorized everyone’s quirks. Noctis only fell in love with them harder, and she even considered the possibility of having _more_ children with them when everything was over. Granted, that all depended on how well they adapted to baby Cira, but Noctis liked the idea of the four of them being surrounded by children. Prompto even mentioned a couple of times that carrying a baby wouldn’t be _so_ bad – but they wouldn’t force him to do anything that would trigger his dysphoria, and that would’ve been entirely his decision.

Noctis was even given the luxury of sleeping in, much to Ignis’ chagrin. He was the one who suggested it – saying that bearing a child was very hard work, and that she should rest as much as she possibly could.

What he _didn’t_ realize that meant was that she’d pin him down to the bed and keep him with her until she was ready to get up. When Gladio and Prompto were around, she’d allow Ignis a little more leeway for him to get started on his day – but, like now, when they were gone, he was all she had to cling onto.

He’s petting his hand through her hair while she sleeps soundly, head resting against his chest. It’s nearly nine in the morning, and all he can really do is stare at the ceiling, and occasionally check his phone for updates from the others.

He doesn’t mind it though. Perhaps he was more protective than he used to be, but all he wants is for Noctis to be content.

She stirs in her sleep, wincing as she wakes from her slumber. Ignis grabs his glasses from the night table as she adjusts herself, pushing herself into a sitting position. She rubs her rounded stomach, staring blankly at the bedsheets.

“Good morning.” Ignis sits up with her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. She manages a smile, but there’s something hidden within it. “Contractions, again?”

Every now and then, she’d wake up _screaming_ in pain from the terrible process of her body trying to adjust to childbirth. It was the least fun thing in the world, and only time would make it go away. They had to learn how to breathe with her, and remedies that would make it hurt less.

Any doctor they spoke to said that it was normal, especially with how late in the pregnancy she was. It was her body trying to prepare her, and they had no reason for concern until the baby flipped, and to his knowledge, she wasn’t in the proper position yet.

But Noctis shakes her head, looking at Ignis with a tired gaze.

“Nah. Nightmares.” She sighed, “This time I saw Cira. She was a child, nine, ten years old. I was holding onto her – like, as if my life depended on it – but I was torn away. She was so sad, but told me that she was going to be okay – and then I realized, _I_ was the one in danger. I don’t know what was sucking me away, but it was angry – and it wanted me.”

“That’s the third one this week.” He frowns, pulling her against him, laying back down against the soft sheets of the bed. “You remember them all quite vividly. Does it feel anything like the visions you would see with the Astrals?”

Noctis shrugs her shoulders, eyes focused on her belly, her hand absent mindedly drawing circles against it.

“Don’t think so. It’s like – I don’t think this is a literal scenario that I’m going to see myself in, but it does feel like a warning of sorts. I dunno, Astrals have been fucking with my dreams since I was a kid.”

“That they have.” Ignis chuckles, reaching a hand out to intertwine with hers, feeling a nudge from the child within her gently against his palm. “We’ve vowed to keep you and your child safe, highness. That’s what we’re prepared to do.”

“I know. And I know that you guys wont let me down.”

* * *

 

Deciding to have the baby in Caem was something they all agreed was the best idea. Sure, they could get professional medical treatment in Lestallum, but then came the idea of transporting them all back that worried them. It was a nice four hours away, and no newborn was going to handle that well. 

Noctis wanted something _private_ though. They couldn’t just kick everybody who wasn’t her partners out of the house, but it was going to have to be that way – and luckily, Monica and the others were completely willing to follow every one of Noctis’ demands – and she had a _lot_ of demands. The idea of there being a lot of people around while she pushed a baby out of her stressed her the hell out. She didn’t want _anybody_ to be there with her, not unless it was the people that would help raise it. So Iris was granted permission to hang around, and Cor was allowed in the house even though he was fuck knows where at the moment.

They just needed a week – just a week alone and then they could go back to their everyday, not-so-normal lives.

Noctis’ other demands were far more reasonable. She got talked into a water birth by the midwife, saying that it was going to ease the pain of labor, and Noctis hated being in pain. She had such a low tolerance for it, but she was offered some drugs too, even though the midwife said that her goal was to get Noctis through this as naturally as possible. The bathroom that was in their room wasn’t that big, so really only one, maybe two of her partners was going to be able to be there.

She bet now that Gladio was going to opt out – he was terrified of seeing any of it.

The house is quiet without anybody else there, and it’s kind of like a dream. She’s curled up on the bed while Prompto cruises through some retro game he found shoved into the closet. Ignis is downstairs, talking things through with the midwife, and Gladio went out with Iris, gathering the items said midwife told them they’d need.

And also loads of cleaning supplies.

She’s been having contractions for a few hours, and they hurt like a bitch – each one gets worse, and it’s to the point where they have to time it. The midwife checks in every now and then to see how far she’s dilated, but the most important thing for now was to keep Noctis comfortable.

Prompto curses as he gets knocked out by a boss battle, setting the controller down for the first time in over an hour.

“How’re ya feelin’, Noct?” He scoots closer to her on the bed, pushing her hair from her face. She’s been trying to sleep for the last couple of hours, in between contractions, and she looks absolutely exhausted already. He remembers hearing that childbirth could take _days_. He’s really hoping that this isn’t the case, because seeing Noct in pain and uncomfortable made him _incredibly_ upset.

She takes a deep breath, looking up at him.

“Can’t wait for this to be over.” She mumbles, “Think of your worst period cramp and times that by a million. It feels like Ifrit is tearing my hips apart.”

“Yeah, that sounds awful.”

Noctis kind of laughs, but interrupts herself when another contraction starts tearing away at her insides. Prompto immediately lends her his hand, and she starts the ritual. She breathes through her nose, trying to follow the breathing pattern that the midwife taught her but she starts crying out, squeezing the ever living shit out of Prompto’s hand in the process. It’s probably going to break before the baby is born, but he’s okay with it.

She grits her teeth, groaning all the while, her body curling up in pain. This one is longer than the previous ones, she’s lost count. It’s evident in Prompto’s eyes, though, that this is enough for him to need the midwife to start checking up on her again. She’s still hissing in pain when Ignis enters, eyes wide at the sight.

“How long – “

“Fifteen since her last one. This one lasted for like, a full minute.”

Ignis is back out the door, leaving Noctis clutching onto Prompto for her dear life. It hurts so terribly, and she just wants to take her engine blade and carve the damn kid out of her. She knows it’s only going to get worse, and now she’s wishing that she went to Lestallum so someone could just tear her precious baby girl out of her.

Even though she was the one _bearing_ the damn kid, she had no idea how labor was supposed to play out. She supposed that when it was time, her body would know, but all the technicalities that she was told totally flew by. She didn’t remember a damn thing, though she figured that if she wasn’t in searing pain, she’d be able to concentrate on it a bit better. This was why Ignis and the midwife were here.

She was proud of Prompto too, though. He was staying calm throughout the majority of her early labor contractions, helping her with whatever she needed, walking her around when sitting still was becoming too painful. She figured that he’d have started crying by now, but he was handling it quite well. Better than Gladio, who kept finding excuses to stay out of Noct’s way. It was his damn fault that she was even in this position anyway, he was the most chicken out of all of them. She kind of didn’t blame him though. Pregnancy was … gross. Noctis remembers fainting in health class the time they had to sit through a documentary on _the miracle of life_. Right now, she kind of just had to suck it up – but if it wasn’t her with the full sized baby in her gut, right now, she’d have ran too.

She can’t wait for her water to break – it’s gonna be disgusting.

Prompto’s cradling Noct in his arms, explaining the plot of the game he’s been playing to her. She’s not really paying attention, but she appreciates what he’s trying to do.

_Then_ another contraction hits, and she’s practically clawing her way off of the bed, trying to get to the nearest toilet.

“That was five minutes!” Prompto shouts out the door, “Uh! I think she’s puking!”

She was.

The pain made time pass… so slowly. Gladio made it back just in time to witness Noctis tearing her clothes off as her water broke, and he nearly started crying on sight, being pulled away by Iris after wishing Noct good luck, saying that she’d shove him in there after it was all over.

She’s in the tub for _hours_ , but now she’s got Ignis by her side. He’s chugged at least four cans of ebony so he’s wide awake, and very attentive to the pattern her contractions have taken. He’s the one getting down and dirty with Noct, on his knees as he leans over the tub, holding her up so she doesn’t fucking _drown_. Prompto’s standing _behind_ the midwife, the one having to see the mess, in a way that he could be there if she needed help, but staying the fuck out of the way for everything else. Prompto swore that he’d be strong and that he’d stick through the whole thing, but he’s turning white and while Noctis’ coherence is running thin, she finds herself laughing at him. Any chance of Prompto popping out any children was out the window.

“Prompto… please…” Ignis sighs, burying his face in Noctis’ sweaty hair. “Just go be with Gladio. It wont be long, now.”

“No! I-I gotta… gotta take photos… gotta… witness…”

“I don’t want any damn photos of a baby being yanked from my fucking vagina.” Noctis growls, another contraction ripping through her body. “I’m fucking naked too – go tell the other baby that everything’s moving along _beautifully_.”

“O-Other baby?”

“She means Gladio, kitten.” Ignis hoists Noctis up a bit as she starts sliding into the dirty bathwater again, one of her hands is grasping desperately onto his. “We’re going to need you later on – leave now so you don’t pass out.”

Prompto’s out the door before Ignis even finishes his sentence, and Noctis lets out a _loud_ , long painful scream.

Ignis is trying his best to coax her through it, telling her everything she needed to hear. She’s gone through worse, this is nothing compared to what she’s been through in her whole life. She made it out alive after her childhood injury, so this would be a piece of cake – and she’d get a tiny human out of it! Amazing! He tells her she’s strong, that she’s going to be a wonderful mother, that her baby is going to love her unconditionally.

He tells her that he loves her, that Gladio and Prompto love her too. Her father would be proud of her, he’d love his granddaughter with everything he had. It’s all so much, and it hurts so bad and she doesn’t know if she’s going to make it, but she has to. She has to fight through this, she has to look at her daughter and fall even more in love with her, she has to fight for her kingdom, she has to restore Lucis so she can raise her in peace. She’s going to be able to do it, she can do it, she’s doing it right now. Ignis has stopped shouting his support, and she doesn’t know what happened, but she feels one last urge to fight through – just one more.

“Noct…”

She opens her eyes, and she sees the midwife lift a small, curious thing out of the water. She’s so bloody, covered in god knows what, and the cord connecting their bodies is like, the worst thing Noctis has ever had to see. But she can’t look away. She absolutely can’t look away.

The midwife cleans the baby’s face, her nose and mouth, and she coughs – and _immediately_ starts wailing and flailing her arms around.

It’s the most beautiful thing Noctis has ever heard in her short twenty years of being alive.

She’s handed to her mother, being placed directly on her chest, head resting on her collarbone, and she’s still crying, but Noctis coos to her, petting through her _thick_ black hair, and the baby calms down. It’s miraculous.

Ignis allows Noctis to sink a little, giving her the opportunity to relax her body as she holds her baby for the first time. He’s dumbstruck, staring at the two.

She’s such a tiny little thing, her complexion just a smidge darker than Noct’s, but she’s god this _wild_ black hair – Noctis looks up at him, the most genuine smile he’s ever seen on her face, and she starts laughing out of disbelief. Yes, this is her baby, and she did this by herself.

“Cira.”

* * *

 

Seeing Gladio hold Cira in his arms was probably the most comical sight they’d get for the week. He’s so big, and she’s _so small_. Noctis was about ready to pass out, but she wanted to feed her before retiring to bed for a couple of hours. They all took turns holding the baby girl, _wowing_ at how tiny she was, trying to pick apart her features. 

She was definitely Noct’s, that was for sure. Her squished up face looked nearly identical to her mothers, and she was kind of calling victory. Bearing a baby by _Gladio_ made her think that she was going to give birth to a mini-monster body builder, but Cira was just the opposite. Perhaps it was a Lucian thing, they just took after their mothers. Of course, it was too early to really tell, but they were all fascinated by it.

It was a _long_ couple of hours, but they could all agree that it was fucking _worth it_.

“She’s real, Gladio. You can _talk_ to her.” Noctis grins at him, watching as he sits stone-ass still in a chair pulled up to her bedside. Ignis is sticking close, just in case he faints or something and he has to step in. Also, Gladio had no idea how to hold infants, and he spent at least five minutes trying to explain that just because she fit in one arm, didn’t mean that it was the proper way to hold her.

Prompto has been taking photos the entire time. He probably has about 50 by now.

“She’s just… so freakin’ small.”

“Yeah. Babies tend to be small.”

Cira yawns, stretching out one of her arms and Gladio practically melts in his seat. He _very hesitantly_ reaches his hand out to her, placing his pinky in her palm (since it was probably all that would fit) and she grasps on – and he’s _shocked_.

This tiny thing was half him and half Noct. She’s still all red and puffy, and would probably look like this for the next couple of months.

He’s kind of curious as to how this shit is gonna _work_. Does he still have to have a kid that’s gonna be Cira’s shield one day? Is Cira her own shield? Did he destroy a family legacy by knocking up the ruler of Lucis? Did he just wipe out his family’s bloodline? He furrows his eyebrows, staring into Cira’s big, blue eyes, and Ignis taps him on the shoulder, breaking him out of his focus.

“I can practically see the wheels turning in your brain.” He sighs, kneeling down to retrieve Cira into his own arms. “Whatever you’re thinking about, you’re trying much too hard.”

Ignis sits beside Noct on the bed, handing her daughter over. Newborns had to be fed every couple of hours, and even though Cira wasn’t being too fussy, Noct wasn’t going to take any chances.

“You’ve done really well, Noctis.” He says, pressing a kiss to her temple. “We’re all so proud of you – and what a _pleasure_ it is to finally meet our new princess.”

“Damn, that’s right. It might not feel like it right now, baby girl, but you’re freakin’ royalty. Isn’t that cool?” Noctis coos to her, adjusting her night shirt so she could get Cira into the proper feeding position. Cira latches on almost immediately, as if she’s saying ‘ _thank you, I am **starving**_ ’ and initially it’s a little painful, but she relaxes into it, just happy that her baby is taking to everything so naturally.

“This is probably gonna be a pain in the ass to document when we get back to Insomnia, huh?” Gladio asks.

“Probably.”

“Definitely.” Ignis interjects.

“God – I love her so much.” Prompto whines, sitting on the edge of the bed, finally setting his camera away so he doesn’t accidentally take a photo of Cira sucking on Noctis’ boob. “Didn’t think there was anything cuter than a baby chocobo, but Cira proved me the hell wrong.”

“Yunno, I agree.” Noctis smiles down at her daughter, leaning forward to press a kiss to the crown of her head. “That’s a pretty big compliment, yunno. Prompto’s saying that you’re cuter than his favorite thing.”

Cira closes her eyes, being lulled to sleep by everyone’s chatter.

They’re all quiet for a while, letting Cira drift off, and by extension, Noctis too. It had been such a long day, and everybody deserved rest. Even Gladio, who spent most of it cowering in the dining room.

Nobody says it, but they all know that they needed to appreciate this for as long as they possibly could. Noctis requested one month to be with her baby before they left for Altissia, and they needed to use that time wisely. They needed to prepare the others in the house for taking care of an infant for at least a month while they were off saving the kingdom.

It was going to hurt, she knew that, but it didn’t make her feel any more prepared for it. Cira was finally in the world, and even though they’d only be gone a short while, it was too soon for any of them to leave her side. But they put it off for long enough – none of this was supposed to happen, but it did, and they’re at peace with it all.

They’re in love, and Cira was their driving force. They had to make things better for her. They had to fix it.

Noctis is focused on her baby, blinking away tears as she holds her close. She knows the others are looking at her, and she desperately wants to stop whatever’s coming over her. None of them could imagine how painful this must be for her, even though they were there by her side. She removes a hand from her daughter, covering her eyes with her sleeve. She feels Ignis pull her to his chest, gently as to not disturb Cira, and by that point, she can’t hold it in anymore.

She sobs openly into his shirt, holding onto her sweet baby girl with all of the love and affection she was able to manage.

Her partners move in close, letting her know she wasn’t alone. It was going to be hard, but they were going to do it. There wasn’t anything in their way to stop them. They were determined – they were going to get their revenge, fix everything. It was happening.

Noctis pulls away after Cira’s stopped feeding, drifted off to sleep after her long, exhausting day of being born into the world. She covers herself back up, tears still spilling from her eyes as she admires her new baby girl, memorizing her features, seeing how peaceful she is as she takes on her dreams.

“I love you, Cira. I love you more than you could ever imagine, okay?” She kisses her daughter’s forehead, “I’m going to make things right for you.”

Nobody else says a word, but they know that she means it.

Victory was going to be theirs.

* * *

 

As it turned out, Noctis was a pretty fantastic mom. 

She was so attentive to Cira, at any given moment. It didn’t matter where she was, if Cira needed her, Noctis was _there_. Her lovers insisted that they could help too, but Noctis didn’t really want to hear any of it. She and Cira had this… special bond, maybe through their Lucian blood, but Noctis was the only one in the house who could stop Cira’s cries just by _looking_ at her.

Noctis refused to take all the credit, though, because Gladio, Prompto and Ignis were all especially talented at parenting – in their own little ways. Cira was still small and chubby looking, but Gladio was a _pro_ at bathing and changing her. He felt that it was the _least_ he could do, considering he cowered away from Noct’s entire childbirth fiasco. Prompto was especially good at getting her to sleep, and keeping her entertained when necessary. Ignis was practicing his world renowned baby food techniques, of course, starting with milk when Noctis was unable to feed her on her own. Cira didn’t really _like_ drinking from a bottle, but they needed her to get used to it quickly, and being fed by others who weren’t her mother was extremely important.

Iris was taking notes on a daily basis, having already mastered all of their skills, coming in only second to Noctis, who was just meant to be a parent, apparently.

Though they spent the month preparing for their departure, and trying to acquaint their allies with the infant so she wouldn’t be _too_ miserable without her mother, they also spent it trying to learn as much as they could about their daughter. They made a game out of it, tallying the amount of times each of them had fallen asleep with Cira on their chests. Gladio was in first place for that one.

The one who was so afraid of touching Noct through her pregnancy was the one who hardly ever wanted to put the baby girl down.

_Ignis_ on the other hand, was caught cooing at her, unloading all of his baby talk onto the poor thing. Cira wasn’t exactly capable of smiling or laughing yet, but she’d flail her arms at him, staring wide eyed, occasionally try to snatch his glasses from his face.

Prompto was the worst one, though. He’d practically _never_ leave her alone. His camera, his phone; all filled with hundreds of photos of the little girl. He forced Iris to learn how to use _facetime_ , and he’d call her from other parts of the house, sometimes they’d even be in the same room. This was because he insisted on keeping in contact through video chat while they were away.

They were doing a great job getting everything settled, but the month passed by too quickly. They were so busy with everything that they had no idea how fast time was flying by. They were all staying strong, in the days coming up to their departure, and Noctis was keeping it together as best as she could – but they all knew that it was coming to an end.

She kept _praying_ to the Astrals; asking that their time in Altissia be fast. Let it be successful. Let them do everything flawlessly so they could get back to Lucis.

This was a month she’d _never_ forget, but she was hoping that in ten years or so, she could look back on it and laugh. She could sit in her throne and watch Cira run around until she made herself tired, let her giggles fill the room.

She watches Prompto play with her, keeping her entertained with funny faces and voices. It would be time for her to sleep soon, and tomorrow was their final day in Caem before they left.

She’s not ready to let go, even if it’s only temporary.

Ignis steps in the room not two seconds later with Gladio following closely behind. He shuts the door to their room quietly, trying not to startle Cira in the process.

“Iris and the others are all set. Cor’ll be here tomorrow morning.” Gladio flops on the bed next to Noctis, burying his face in her stomach, content that she was still fairly soft even after working a majority of her baby weight off. She combs her fingers through his hair, earning a pleased groan in response.

“Yes, Iris will be taking this room for herself and Cira. It worries me a bit… this is a lot of responsibility for Iris to handle.”

“She’s not gonna be on her own, Iggy.” He tilts his head to look at him. “She took a lot of babysitting jobs for a lot of people in the crownsguard. She’s an Amicitia. Our parents raised us well.”

“Not well enough to teach you how to use a condom properly.” Noctis flicks Gladio on his forehead – he glares at her.

“Regardless – she’ll be fine. I’m sure of it.” He says, “Cor’s here. Even if the others weren’t around, Iris and Cor would do fine.”

“Yeah! Cor’s older than all of us. He practically helped raise you guys.”

“Debatable.” Ignis sits on the couch, across from Prompto, where he had Cira laid out on a blanket. “But you’re right. Cor and Iris are trustworthy enough. They have everything we need.”

“They’re not gonna let us down.”

Noctis closes her eyes, trying her best to keep herself calm. A small cry from Cira snaps her out of it, and she sees Prompto lifting her up to his chest, peppering kisses to the top of her head.

“Sounds like someone wants to go to bed.” He hums quietly, rubbing her back as he stands to hand her off to Noctis.

“C’mere.” Noctis opens her arms when Prompto approaches her, Gladio having rolled onto his back to give her a little more space. Cira whines a bit when she’s transferred to her mother, but calms down once she’s in her arms. “Yeeeaaah – mom’s got the magic touch, huh?”

“That she do.”

Noctis elbows Gladio in the forehead, unable to hold back a grin.

Her baby girl was still squishy faced and a little bit cross-eyed. She really _was_ like her little clone, aside from her darker complexion – surely a trait she received from Gladio. She smiles at Cira, pressing her index finger to her nose, small hands try to swat her away.

“Just like mom.”

She too hated being booped on the nose.

It was rough, knowing that this was going to be torn from her within the next twenty four hours. She knew that she wasn’t going to last through the night, that she needed to get all of her feelings out while she still could. She wasn’t leaving forever, she kept telling herself, but for some god awful reason, it felt like she was.

“Guys…”

Noctis speaks aloud, getting all of their attention. They look up to her, seeing how gently she smiles at her daughter, wriggling her finger as Cira holds onto it, amazed at her mother’s ability to do _anything_ , really. Noctis has always been beautiful, but being able to see her in her most vulnerable moment was like nothing else. They all loved each other for many different reasons, but they knew that Noctis needed the validation the most in these times.

That was okay – all they wanted to do was provide.

“I love you all.” She says, her voice is quiet – soft. “I wouldn’t have been able to make it this far without you. And – if I do marry Luna… none of that’s going to change.”

Gladio sits up, wrapping his arms around her smaller frame, kissing at her hair.

“I love you guys too. Young and stupid doesn’t mean this isn’t real.” He feels his beard getting tangled with her hair, but she doesn’t push away from him like she normally would.

Ignis sits to Noctis’ side, a gentle hand on her thigh, squeezing it ever so lightly.

“Of course it’s real.” He offers a smile, “You’ve all brought out the best in me. We’re staying by your side – political marriage or not.”

Prompto’s joined in as well, not wanting to be left out of any group cuddle. It was his favorite activity.

“You guys welcomed a lowly commoner into your weird threeway relationship. You know how much that means to me?”

“Psh – calling it weird, huh?”

Prompto laughs, leaning over Noct to give her a soft kiss to the lips.

“I mean, when you were like ‘Hey! Me, Ignis and Gladio are gonna go have wild sex in my apartment, wanna join?’ – I was like… completely winded. Didn’t know how it worked. All I watch are friggin’ romcoms, how was I supposed to know?” He pouts, folding his arms over his chest like a spoiled brat. “I’m glad you did, though. I thought I was unlovable until you all swept me off my feet.”

“You’re the most lovable thing on the planet, Prompto.”

He blushes, sheepishly smiling at his partners.

It was an adventure, but it wasn’t over. As nice as it would’ve been for them to stay together after everything, they knew it wasn’t necessarily possible. Even though they managed to sneak around a pregnant Noctis for six months, it would’ve been harder to sneak a four way affair with the _King of Lucis_.

Noctis sighs in content, being surrounded by the ones she loved most, unable to fight the smile on her face. She wasn’t all that good at expressing herself, but she was trying really damn hard. She needed them to know that they were going to remain her favorites until the day she died.

Most importantly, she needed Cira to know that she was going to love and protect her from wherever she stood.

It almost seemed pointless, because Noctis leaving so early in Cira’s life meant that she wouldn’t necessarily remember her if something went wrong. Noctis didn’t remember her own mother, something that drove her mad – she knew her father had good intentions, and that it must’ve been hard to have a daughter that held such a striking resemblance to his beloved, but Noctis was never told stories, she was never shown pictures… nothing. She had to search around for that stuff herself – and she was going to do everything in her power to make sure that Cira would know who she was.

“Baby girl…” Her voice is practically a whisper, “I love you so much. You’re everything to me.”

Her partners have grown quiet as she talks, their faces soften with every word she speaks.

“You were a big surprise, and you scared the ever living shit out of me. I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it.” She falters, eyebrows furrowing as she tries to keep herself together. “And I’m really sorry that I have to leave, okay? You’re gonna have to forgive me – because I always said, that if I ever have kids, I’m always gonna be there for ‘em. At every cry – every little thing – I’d be there.”

Her breath hitches and she feels her throat getting dry.

“And I _promise_ you, Cira. That I’m gonna come back – and you’re going to grow up knowing who I am, and you’re going to be the most perfect little princess that Lucis has ever had – _way_ better than me.”

It was too hard to speak. She wanted Cira to understand everything that she was saying. She was so desperate for that sense of communication – and she thinks that maybe, _maybe_ Cira gets it. That she’s going to be the best baby that she can be, and she’s going to stay strong and wait for Noctis to get back so they can rule their kingdom together. Luna or no Luna. If it were just Noctis and her daughter, it’d be okay – it wouldn’t be easy, but it’d work out.

“And I know you’re going to be a little mad, and you’re not going to understand why I did what I had to do. But you’ll learn, baby girl. It’ll be in all the textbooks you read at school – about how our family saved the kingdom – all so you could live the gloriously pampered life that you _deserve_.”

“Noct…” Prompto speaks softly, his eyes wet with tears.

Cira was theirs too – she belonged to all of them. She was a product of their love for one another, and even though she had Gladio’s skin, she’d take Ignis’ wit, Prompto’s compassion – she was the very child that they wanted to protect.

She can’t help the tears streaming down her face anymore, and she feels sobs tearing through her body that she just can’t fight anymore. Cira doesn’t understand her mother’s tears, and why they keep landing against her cheek, but she doesn’t cry. She only reaches out, tugging on a lock of Noctis’ hair, earning a broken laugh out of her mother.

“You’ll understand.” She smiles. “Cira Lucis Caelum – you’re the sun that’s going to keep the world bright.”

* * *

 

It was bad. It was bad. It was really, really bad. 

The worse case scenario was absolutely, way more horrible than she could’ve ever imagined. This wasn’t what she thought she was on her journey for – she had no idea. Nobody told her. She was _lied_ to. She was tricked and god, it hurt. It hurt so much.

Luna was dead. She was dead, after everything they confided in each other with, she was gone. The sun was gone. She lost track of how long it’s been dark for. It’s been weeks. Everything was wrong – Prompto was hurt, Ignis was _blind_. Gladio hated her – all of this was her fault. All of it – and now this.

Three months since they left for Altissia. They were only supposed to be gone _one_.

Ardyn was behind it all – they knew it. She knew it. He tore them apart. He tore them away from Lucis – _he tore them away from Cira_. She meant what she said that day, she meant that she was going to come back – she was going to see her daughter. She was going to _raise_ her daughter. And he mocks her for it. He tells her that she was _stupid_ for bringing a child into this awful, twisted world. Her baby is going to suffer in darkness for eternity, she’s never going to see her dear mother again. She was _selfish_ , and her daughter was going to _hate_ her.

Just like his family hated him. Just how he got alienated from his bloodline.

It wasn’t fair – it wasn’t fair at all. What did she do? What did Noctis do to deserve all of the suffering she was enduring? What did she do to be torn apart from the ones she loved? To have them die? Why was she given something so _beautiful_ only to have it torn away right in front of her eyes.

She doesn’t want to die – but she wants all of the pain to stop. She wants it to go away. _She doesn’t want to be royalty_.

She cries out, and she screams, and she wants to throw up and kick and scream and she wants Ignis by her side, she wants Prompto to tell her it’s going to be fine – she wants Gladio, she wants her father. She feels like a child, and she feels _ridiculous_ but it was all too much.

It hurt so much, and yet Ardyn _laughs_.

He _mocks_ her as she gets sucked into the crystal, crying for help, reaching out for somebody, _anybody_ – just pull her out. Get her out of there, _get her back to her baby_.

She hears her lovers storm in, and she turns as best as she can, and she can see what they do to Ardyn. A shot to the face, a slash through the torso – but he gets back up. It’s terrible, and they see _her_ but it’s too late. Gladio’s screaming out for her, running to the crystal to try and tear her out with nothing but his own brute force, she can see the tears streaming down his face – she can’t make out anything that he’s saying, but it hurts.

She calls his name – calls _their_ names.

But it’s too late – she’s torn away from her reality.

It really wasn’t fair.


	3. 03: And then I know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and so the lioness is reunited with her cub :')
> 
> fuck man thank you all for the kudos. writing this was so much fun and hhh.   
> tbh i might write more one shots within this fics universe cuz i have a hard time letting go - lemme know if it's something you'd be interested in! 
> 
> and also yes; you'll be getting an epilogue asap.

Time was nearly impossible to wrap your head around. The concept alone made it seem like it didn’t actually matter – it wasn’t real.

You’d age – things would change, people around you come and go – eventually you just kind of die. And it really depends on where you go after that – are you worthy enough to ascend to the afterlife? Do you have to start all over again?

It’s exactly that that makes it feel like she’s been here before. The occasional bounts of déjà vu would hit, it’d drive her mad for a little while, but then things would take a different route, and she’d move on – until it ate away at her again. It was a vicious cycle and she knows she’s been here before. She knows where she’s going to end up. She doesn’t want to think about it.

Everything was spelled out for her – it was everything she was afraid of. Her worse case scenario hadn’t finished playing out when she got sucked into the crystal. It was only the beginning, even though it wouldn’t last long. It’d be over before she knew it. It was terrible, and it was unfair.

She was raised only to die.

There was no warmth in the crystal, no one to comfort her in her time of need. Being alone gave her so much time to think, so much time to pray for her loved ones, so much time to accept her fate. It was the hardest thing in the world to come to; and even when she thought she was finally free, finally _past_ her doubts, and her intense, terrible fear of letting go of the life she had grown to love, she’d find herself back at square one.

She wasn’t ready to go – she had such a _strong_ desire to live. It’s not fair.

The crystal finally sets her free, and she’s greeted by utter darkness. She has nothing to tell her how much time has passed, nothing to tell her if it was the morning or the afternoon – but as she looks out to Galden Quay, she knows that something isn’t right. This isn’t her usual darkness, it’s much more twisted than that.

She’s lead to Talcott by Umbra, and seeing his face nearly sends her into a state of shock.

_Ten years_.

He tries filling her in as best as he can, but there was only so much that words could tell her. She knows he’s doing his best, but it’s not enough.

“Lestallum is safe. I’m sorry, your highness – I didn’t want to make you worried.” He keeps his eyes on the road ahead, countless daemons vanish once they make contact with the powerful headlights of his truck. “I just – I know the others have much more to say. You’re going to be proud of them.”

She knows why he’s bringing up Lestallum again, and in a way, she’s grateful.

Noctis is quiet the rest of the way to Hammerhead, trying to calm her nerves. She didn’t want to seem like she was avoiding conversation with Talcott on purpose – it just felt like if she opened her mouth to speak, she’d puke.

She doesn’t wait for him to park his truck before she practically stumbles onto the hard ground. Her blue eyes desperately search for familiar faces, and she can see Cindy, standing off in the distance – she’s staring back at her, but all she can do is stay still. Others begin to crowd behind her, laying their eyes on their king for the first time in ten years – and it was as if all the warmth she was depraved of in the crystal was returning to her – fueled by the faith her people had in her. And though they don't approach Noctis – she knows that they’re overjoyed to have her return – they don’t need to say anything for her to understand.

She offers a smile.

“Noct.”

A familiar voice, though it’s deeper than she remembers – tone wavering as it left his throat.

Noctis braces herself as she turns around – breath hitching when she locks eyes with Prompto’s. Gladio and Ignis follow suit, standing beside the grown blonde, and she’s greeted with a sight that she’s been yearning for – 10 years without their faces, without their comfort.

She falls to her knees, and for the first time in ten years – she cries.

* * *

 

Lestallum was out of their way – two hours from Hammerhead, four from Insomnia. The headlights proved to be a worthy companion of theirs, since Noctis didn’t have any intention of fighting – she wasn’t going to put herself through that tonight. None of them blamed her, and none of them really wanted to fight either. 

For a change, Prompto is behind the wheel, allowing Noctis access to shotgun, taking in the twisted scenery, watching all of the daemons roam about freely. Gladio and Ignis are quiet in the back, and god, she doesn’t want this terrible awkwardness to last. She knows that things haven’t been good with her gone, and she isn’t sure that she wants to know the struggles that they went through in her absence. The very last thing she wants to do is make it to Lestallum, only to find out that her daughter has been pushed to the side in favor of some stupid argument.

She trusted them – she didn’t want to learn that they weren’t able to hold it together for her.

“Have you three been living in Lestallum?” She asks after a long period of silence, the occasional sound of the radio interrupts it, allowing them the whereabouts of the hunters in the area, promoting Lestallum as the only safe refuge in all of Lucis. “Talcott told me it was safe… but – “

“Yeah. It’s safe.” Gladio affirms. “I have an apartment near the marketplace. Not the nicest area to live, but it gets the job done.”

_He_ had an apartment near the marketplace. Her fears are becoming a reality.

“…I’ve been residing in the complex across from the Leville.”

She turns to face Ignis, wincing at the sight of his injuries – never given the time to adjust to them. He says that he’s regained a good portion of his vision in the eye that _isn’t_ sealed shut – it was still difficult, though. There weren’t any corrective lenses advanced enough to solve it for good. He looks tired, worn out, but from what she understands, he was the only one who was able to get his shit together.

Gladio was too emotionally constipated to cope, and Prompto’s anxiety had taken a hold on him.

Back in Hammerhead, they spoke so highly of one another – and they caught her up to speed. She honestly thought that everything was all fine and dandy – they were able to father her daughter as they promised they would. But none of them mentioned that they did so passive aggressively. It was bullshit, and she needed it to end.

“What about you, Prompto?”

Prompto smiles and shrugs, looking to Noct in the passenger’s seat.

“I’m usually in Hammerhead. I stay with Ignis when I’m in Lestallum, though. Gladio’s apartment is too small. Didn’t understand why he just wouldn’t stay with Iris – she’s got it the best out of all of us.”

Noctis groans, running her hand through her hair.

“Don’t do this to me, guys.” Her voice is threatening, “I know… I know what happened to me wasn’t supposed to. I know it wasn’t what we planned – but.”

“Cira’s fine.” Gladio grits his teeth. “She’s fine, and she knows who you are. I’m with her every moment I can be – and the others are too. We don’t trade her between the three of us like some sad child of divorce.”

“That’s great, Gladio. That’s wonderful – and I’m glad you did that. I am, genuinely.” She leans over the seat, “You know I would’ve never forgiven you if you ruined our daughter – I would’ve hated you until the day I died. So yeah – I’m real happy that she’s okay, but for Astral’s sake, Gladio – is being in her life _really_ that detrimental for you lot? Was it too hard – having to look at her and be reminded that I was trapped in some lucid nightmare?”

“Don’t act like you know what we went through when you disappeared.” He snarls at her, grasping at the leather chair in front of him. “Don’t you _dare_ imply that the three of us didn’t _try_.”

“You think I can’t imagine it, Gladio?” Noctis yanks him forward by his ponytail, amber tingeing her blue eyes. “ _Fuck_ you!”

Prompto’s stopped the car, hands still on the wheel as he stares down at his lap.

“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, sweetheart! And thanks for _pretending_ that you three didn’t hate each other for the sake of my daughter.” She shoves Gladio back against his seat, sinking into her own. “I don’t think you three did try, though. You all blamed each other – you blamed yourselves and got stuck in some stupid fit of self loathing. I’m sorry – I’m a little disappointed. I knew I wasn’t going to come back to this picture perfect family that I wanted us to have – the family I imagined the second I heard Cira’s heartbeat in the emergency room ten years ago – I’m not _stupid_.”

“Noct…” Prompto’s voice is quiet, and he’s reached for her hand. “I’m sorry. I am – I didn’t mean for us to fall apart. I tried – I did. I wanted to be what I’ve always been to us – and I couldn’t keep it together. I – “

“I don’t… _blame_ you three for taking things the way you did.” She whispers, “You’re human. And you’ve got emotions – and… that’s fine. But I wanted you three to be strong – even if you didn’t get past your differences… there should’ve been an understanding that there wasn’t anything that could be done. And if you’ve moved on, you weren’t going to stay angry at one another.”

She knows that Gladio is still seething in the back seat, and she can’t bear to look at him any longer. Ten years ago, she had to listen to him chastise her for being unable to snap herself out of her own depressive episode. She had to endure his anger, his frustration, and she had to come out of it stronger.

Why wasn’t she allowed to react to her feelings the way she did, and yet he was excused?

“I know it was hard without me. And I regret not being here – I regret not being able to help you when you needed it.”

“She looks just like you, Noct.” Gladio speaks up again, “She looks like your clone and it hurt every day. Iggy would tell her stories about you all the time, and she’d ask me if I had any – and it just hurt too damn much.”

She’d get sick of storybooks, hearing the same tale of the Astral war told over and over again. She wanted stories about her mother, about how her and her friends used to get into silly antics. The funny story Prompto told about her mom getting blackmailed by a man selling jewelry, or the one about them getting beaten up by the cactuar after they fawned over how cute they thought it was.

Gladio was never able to give her what she wanted because it made his heart ache.

“When she was little, she’d ask where you went – and I couldn’t give her an answer because I didn’t _know_.”

Prompto’s started the vehicle again after Noctis was rendered speechless. Lestallum wasn’t far from here, and Noctis was kept from Cira for long enough.

“She’s a wonderful child, Noctis.” Ignis turns his head towards her. “She was our first priority – and perhaps we became so lost in being concerned for her wellbeing that we forgot about our own. And I’m truly sorry – you’re right. She was given a false sense of security in our relationship that had fallen apart.”

“Have you three moved on?”

“We sought comfort in those who would offer.”

Gladio scoffs, “He sought comfort in Aranea.”

Noctis kind of laughs.

“I don’t really blame you.”

She learns what they’ve _really_ been up to – and a majority of what she’s told is what she was expecting. They do a lot of fighting, a _lot_ of daemon hunting. They didn’t really have time to work out their personal lives, since they were trying to keep Lucis together to the best of their abilities. There were no rules, no hierarchy, but Ignis managed to come up with a plan that would give Lestallum as much stability as possible. It was too broken to be a form of government, but it was going to be the best option for them until Noctis came back and took control.

Prompto sought out Hammerhead because he felt as if he could avoid hurting the others if he was away. He used Cindy as an excuse, saying that he was determined to _seek comfort_ in her (ie: fucking marry) though they knew that he wasn’t being true to himself.

He refused to be absent from Cira’s life, though. He knew paternal abandonment – he went through hell with his adoptive mother and father, lacking a real connection with them simply because they were never around. He wasn’t going to let Cira experience that, and if Ignis and Gladio truly decided to stay out of the picture, he was going to raise her on his own. He was grateful that it didn’t come to that – that his partners were fully responsible for her and made sure she knew that she was loved, and that she was wanted – but it only increased his opportunity to run from his problems.

Prompto _pretended_ that he had his shit together, and while nobody believed him – he did a good enough job to get the others to give him his space.

With Noctis back, Prompto didn’t feel like he had to run anymore. They thrived off one another, and they were the best that they could be when given the mutual support.

He didn’t know what the battle with Ardyn would entail, but he was sure that they’d come out on top – and he could finally see the sunshine again.

Gladio took on a lot of jobs. A dangerous amount, and he was probably the most distant one of the bunch. He made up for his absence with the amount of sheer love and support he provided when he returned. Ignis couldn’t chastise him when he’d storm through his front door and lift Cira into his arms, providing her with unique souvenirs he’d receive in battle. He never forgot her birthday, showing up to see her after weeks of being away – Cira was fascinated with him, and she’d always express how excited she was to see him whenever he did come around. He and auntie Iris would spoil her.

For the most part, Cira resided with Ignis who had the most stable life of the three. He provided well for her, and when Prompto was with him, it felt like there was some semblance of a family within the environment. Aranea took a liking to Ignis, a sort of powerful bond formed with them, since she helped him get back on his feet when the others were too messed up to do it for him.

And Aranea stuck true to her word – she was able to give Cira some of the motherly affection she had been lacking. She loved being around the little girl, and Aranea swore that when Noctis got back, she’d see how strong Cira was – and she’d be so proud of her daughter. Noctis honestly had no idea that someone who was once her enemy would be such an important figure in her life – and she hoped that Aranea would be there so she could thank her for doing what she did. She had no obligations to help Ignis, to help Cira – but she did it out of the kindness of her heart. And Aranea admitted to Ignis a couple of times that she felt like she was overstepping her boundaries, because she didn’t want to be Cira’s mother figure – Noctis deserved that role – but she couldn’t bear the idea of this small child being devoid of a family all because of some terrible, twisted man’s grudge against the royal line. Noctis was grateful – with every fiber of her being.

Noctis was _overwhelmed_ by the love and support her friends and family gave to her daughter in her absence. She was so worried that she’d return to a broken spirit, but with all of the positive news her friends provided her with, she knew that Cira was going to be okay.

She’s still rightfully terrified when Prompto parks the car in the lot by the outlook.

Trying to keep her head held high was all she could do, because her thoughts were driving her up the wall. Cira would be alright, she was safe, and she was _strong_.

But Noctis just wanted to hold her little girls in her arms again, to poke at her tiny nose and see her get frustrated. She wanted Cira to know her, and to _love_ her. She wanted Cira to know that she was chasing Ardyn to the end of the world all so she could see the sunlight again – so she could live the pampered life that she _deserved_. That it wasn’t fair that she was born into a loving family only to have it stripped away not one month into her being alive – and that she was going to live a long and happy life; Noctis was going to give that to her. And she didn’t know how she was going to get all of that into her daughter’s head when within the next twenty four hours, she was going to be sacrificing herself for the greater good of the planet.

Prompto grabs her hand, squeezing it tight once he turns off the ignition. Ignis has leaned forward, gently placing his palm on her shoulder – Gladio’s roughed up her hair, having grown much longer than she would’ve liked, tied back into a ponytail with one of Gladio’s hairbands from his collection.

“She’s with Iris.”

Noctis turns to face her friends once more.

“Before we go to see her; tell me. Does she call any of you _dad_?”

They’re all blank faced, as if none of them were capable of providing her with an answer.

“No. Not quite.” Ignis looks to her with his good eye. “I never felt as though I was worthy of that title.”

“I refer to her as my daughter when it’s necessary.” Gladio opens the car door, unable to look Noctis in the eye. “She’s never outright called me her dad before, though.”

“I do too. Just… never to her face. Mostly when I show her off in pictures.”

Prompto feels a little ashamed, letting go of Noctis’ hand once Gladio and Ignis are out of the car. He smiles to her, though, a nod of reassurance gets her out the door and up the street where Iris’ apartment resided.

Gladio’s younger sister is standing outside, and Noctis barely recognizes her. She’s taller, and her hair’s grown, though half of it is shaved off, swept to the side with impossible layers that gave it a wild look. She’s adorned with tattoos down her arms, wrapped around her neck. She’s got clear muscle definition, and she carries herself with a different kind of attitude. She’s more confident, and she stands with her arms folded over her large bosom, a bright smile on her face lights up the entire street.

“You’ve kept a whole city waiting, Noct.” Iris beams at her, “You have no idea what 10 years can do to a person.”

Noctis is winded by the entire _25 year old Iris_ experience. She’s gorgeous, resembling her brother quite a lot more now that she’s got this rough and rowdy appearance.

“I can take a wild guess, Iris the _daemon slayer_.”

She smiles back at the now-grown woman, though her eyes are still looking around for more.

“I sent Cira to the market – we made a plan to have a _big_ dinner tonight. She’s been practicing multiplication and division, so she had really specific instructions on what she was supposed to buy.” Iris hums, “She should be back any second.”

“I wouldn’t mind helping you two with supper, tonight.” Ignis smiles, as if Noctis didn’t know this was planned.

The realization that Cira, her baby girl, wasn’t really a baby anymore was hard to swallow. Cira was in school, and she was given lessons outside of class by Ignis. Iris and Aranea were reportedly helping her learn how to fight, and from what Gladio mentioned – she was pretty good at it. _Way_ more attentive than Noctis was at her age.

Lestallum was still hot as hell, despite the darkness and she couldn’t wait to make it Ignis’ apartment. She feels lost, standing in the middle of what was once a lively and upbeat city. It’s still crowded, and there are still people _everywhere_ – but they’re moving quickly throughout the night, and the musicians that play on the street are singing songs for despair, with only a tinge of hope to them. They cry out for resistance, a plea for the gods to cure Eos of it’s scourge – to bring peace and happiness back to the planet.

She looks around and sees fliers for schools; begging for more people to teach the children born into this terrible darkness about what Lucis used to be. She sees Lucians working hard, trying their best to provide for one another in these trying times – doing their best to ensure that humanity doesn’t go _extinct_.

She hears tiny feet tapping against the pavement, and the sound of bags hitting the floor. She looks at Iris, and then to her partners who all have smiles on their faces, and she feels her heartbeat kick up in speed. All she has to do is turn around, and she’ll know but she feels frozen in place. Gladio goes to retrieve the groceries from the floor, whispering something to the culprit – and then she feels a small tug at her coat.

Noctis turns her body around slowly, being met with something she’s been missing for such a long time. She drops to her knees, and she very hesitantly reaches out – her sight blinded by her own tears.

Cira stands before her, and everything her friends have been saying is true. She looks just like her mom, the same frail build she had as a child. She’s a bit taller than she imagined her being, easily looking down at her mother while she’s on her knees. She’s got Gladio’s gorgeous tanned skin, and though her hair is black in color, it’s _thick_ and it’s wild. Her eyes are big, and they’re blue, and they stare at Noctis in complete and utter disbelief. Like the woman from all of the stories she’s heard from the adults in her life just stepped out of her imagination. Noctis was _real_ and she was here.

She’s adorned in black clothing, a resemblance to the princess-like garments that Noctis refused to wear as a child. She has no idea how they managed to retrieve any of it, or at the very least, design it from memory but it suits her so well.

She’s the most beautiful thing that Noctis has ever seen in her entire life.

Cira looks afraid, and she’s hesitant to step forward, but Prompto places a hand on top of her head and roughs up her hair a bit. The ten year old takes a deep breath, and meets her mother’s tearful gaze.

“…Mom?”

Noctis reaches forward and pulls her daughter into her arms, embracing her as she cries out – a plethora of emotion coursing through her body. She holds onto Cira so tightly, weeping into her daughter’s hair – knowing that she’s probably making the poor girl uncomfortable.

Her mother is gone for ten years, and she returns only to cry inconsolable tears.

But Cira wraps her arms around her mother’s waist, and Noctis hears quiet, reserved sobs escaping from her daughter – and she wants Cira to know that it’s okay for her to cry.

“I never thought I was gonna get to see you.” Cira whimpers into Noctis’ shoulder.

“I’m here, baby girl. And I’m never going to leave your side.”

* * *

 

Cira had so much that she wanted to tell Noctis. She went on so many adventures in her short ten years of being alive, and she learned so much from her mom’s best friends. She wanted to tell Noctis _everything_ , and she found herself going a mile a minute as she tried to get her up to speed. 

The initial plan was to have Cira help with dinner, but Ignis insisted that she be excused – Noctis needed her more than ever right now, and Cira couldn’t argue with that.

They were left alone while dinner was in the making, sitting together on the balcony. Cira had no problem sitting close to her mother, allowing Noctis to wrap her arms around her real close while they talked. Noctis was memorizing all of her daughter’s features, her eyes, her nose, her voice, her scent – it was all so important for her to take in, and she thinks that Cira might be doing the same.

She asks her mother if all the stories Iggy told were actually true, and Noctis is able to show her all of the proof she needed. She had photos on her cell phone, she had scars and souvenirs – Cira was _amazed_ by how cool her mom was. She didn’t think that Iggy was lying, but there was something so magical about being able to hear the tales right from her mother’s mouth. She smiled so brightly at Noctis, warming her heart in the process. Cira lived up to her name – because in these dark times, she was indeed the sun that was brightening her world.

“I can’t wait to go back to Insomnia with you.” Cira sings, “Um! Prompto? He tells me all the time that it was the most fun place to live, and that there were a lot of arcades and stuff that you would play at. I want to go there, too.”

“Arcades? Does Prompto play videogames with you sometimes?”

Cira nods with enthusiasm, “Yeah! He said that you really like them – and I really like them too. He likes to say that he’s better at them than you are, but I didn’t believe him.”

Noctis laughs, pushing Cira’s bangs from her face.

“Good – because he’s definitely lying.” She smiles. “You wanna know the coolest thing, though?”

“What’s that?”

“Where you’re going to live? It’s almost like a giant castle!”

Blue eyes lit up, mouth open in disbelief.

“It’s impossibly tall. Dozens of stories high. I grew up in there – and depending on what it looks like when you go back, all of my old favorite videogames might be there. I’m sure Prompto would love to show you.”

“I want you to play with him and kick his butt!”

Her mother laughs, roughing up her daughter’s thick black hair, humored by how it sticks up. Her daughter is so genuine, and she wants to thank her loved ones again for raising her to be the best that she could be. She doesn’t want to let Cira down – and though she knows what her future entails, she’s not going to disappoint her.

“I’ll have to take you around the city and show you all of my favorite places. I used to sneak out a lot as a child, when I was around your age.” She hugs Cira to her chest, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head. “I would always get Iggy in trouble. I wasn’t allowed to leave – my dad was too scared to let me go.”

“Why? Was it dangerous?”

“Hmm – not dangerous. But I got into a really bad accident when I was _really_ little. Your grandfather was afraid of anything else happening to me.”

“You got hurt? Did you never get better?”

“I got better, baby girl.” She hums, “But it took a really long time. And I still have to deal with the consequences. But it was worth it – because I got to do a lot of really cool things I was never allowed to do.”

“I’m really happy that you got to come back, mom. I know I was only a baby when you left but… I always felt like knew you really well.” Cira wraps her arms around Noctis’ thin frame, resting her head against her shoulder. “I had a lot of dreams about you – and they always felt real.”

“I thought about you every day, Cira. Before I had to leave, I told you that I would be back – and I meant it.”

“I’m really happy.” Cira sniffles lightly, “I never gave up. Gladio… he always told me to be strong and to look forward.”

“I’m glad that he did, sweetheart. And I’m _so_ proud of you for being so strong. It’s gonna be easier from now on. You wont have to live like this any longer.”

“It’s not so bad… but it’ll be better with you.”

Noctis meets her daughter’s gaze, threading her fingers through her hair. She sees how she smiles up at her, eyes full of hope and excitement – she can also see the longing, the pain that her child endured for the ten years that she was absent. Being here with her felt so good, it felt _right_ – but the pain was almost too much for her to handle. And she had to be strong – and she couldn’t let her daughter know that this was going to be it.

She wanted to take Cira around Insomnia, and introduce her to the rich Lucian culture that resided within it. She wanted to play her favorite video games with her, and brag to Prompto that she _was_ better at it. She wanted to stroll on the busy streets with Ignis, guiding them to the most beautiful parts of the city that barely anybody knew about. She wanted Gladio to take them camping, getting up at the break of dawn so they could go fishing and show off their biggest catch.

She wasn’t going to get any of this though – and she was reminded by the eternal darkness.

The door to the balcony opens slowly, and Gladio carefully steps out with them. He sees Noctis holding Cira close, and how she doesn’t look up to hear what he has to say. He almost feels guilty, ruining their peace and tranquility – but it had to be done.

“Dinner’s ready.” He says, “Ignis and Iris worked real hard. You two’ll love it.”

Cira looks up at Gladio, smiling at him and he feels his heart ache. It wasn’t that he didn’t feel the father-daughter bond with her; if anything it was the opposite. She tugged at his heart strings too much, but the guilt of having to raise her without her mother ate away at him too much. And now she was finally back in Noctis’ arms, and they looked so natural together – like this is what it was always supposed to be. And it’s hard – he wants to join them and hold them both close, but ten years was a long time. Cira wouldn’t understand.

In the beginning, he thought it would be easy to explain to her that the three of them; Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto, were all a big family despite her mother’s absence. But everything Noctis had said was true; they were too ridden with self loathing to make it work.

Gladio was all for reuniting their feelings, but to Cira, it would be a big mess.

But he looks at her, and he wants to swing her around and call her his child. She takes after Noctis, certainly, but he can pick out the features that belong to him. The texture of her hair, the color of her skin, the fact that she’s already taller than Noctis was at that age. She’s really brave, and she doesn’t take any shit, despite being only ten years old – but he can’t take credit for how she was raised, because he hardly raised her.

She was excitable like Prompto, always looking at the bright side of things, and she took interest in practically everything he introduced her to. She liked artwork, and she had dozens of sketchbooks where she’d illustrate the stories she heard from Ignis, portraits of what she thought Noctis looked like in battle. She had a soft spot for animals, having convinced Ignis a kitten or two – and most importantly, she always wanted to help those in need. They wouldn’t dare take her on dangerous missions that would put her life on the line, but she’d always run errands for those in the city who needed the extra hand – and she was well known throughout Lestallum, she was loved.

She was incredibly intelligent, too. Though she had some difficulty concentrating on subjects she didn’t enjoy, Ignis found ways around it – he committed to teaching her after school, and helping her find ways to truck through the really hard stuff in ways that she’d understand, making it easy to tackle. Cira was really good at puns, and was _very_ quick witted. She could lie her way out of any situation (even though Ignis typically saw right through it) and wouldn’t hesitate to use it to her advantage. She knew so much about Lucian history, and even though she insisted it wasn’t that interesting, she never gave up trying to understand it. To Ignis, it felt a lot like trying to help Noctis out again, since she took so closely after her mother when it came to her educational studies. Ignis was just grateful that Cira wasn’t nearly as stubborn like she was growing up.

Cira truly _was_ a product of the four of them.

Gladio hesitates slightly, moving forward as he tries to fight his fear. He needs Noctis to know that he was ready for them to get past all of their differences and start anew.

He places his hand on Noctis’ shoulder, and leans down, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“Take your time, though. We’ll wait.”

Noctis closes her eyes, her hold on Cira tightens and she feels warmth fill her entire being. She can’t help a smile, but tears are forming in the corners of her eyes, and she doesn’t feel ready to cry again. Gladio always did this sort of thing to her; pretending that he was some invulnerable brute, only to show her the softest form of affection. And Noctis knew that Cira didn’t realize that Gladio was her father, that she was in love with the ones who raised her, but Gladio is trying to make that step forward – he’s trying to close the gap that separated them for ten years.

Cira blinks as she watches Gladio retreat back into the apartment, the smell of dinner lingering outside until the doors close back up.

“He likes you, doesn’t he?” She asks, trying to read her mother’s expression.

“…Yeah. I think he does.”

Noctis scoops Cira up in her arms, easily, despite her daughter nearly being up to her shoulders. She laughs all the while, being kissed on the cheek before she’s set back down on her feet.

Dinner is better than Noctis could’ve ever imagined. Though Cira wasn’t involved with the cooking, the others commend her on her hard work retrieving everything from the market – she exceeded their expectations, and if it hadn’t been for her, dinner wouldn’t have been a success.

Ignis had always been good at cooking, but within the ten years Noctis was gone, he seemed to up the ante a _lot_. He said that when he needed to de-stress, he’d cook or bake, and as it turned out, he needed that relaxation time way more than he realized. The next thing he knew, he was creating gourmet meals and people were trying to convince him to take it up for good. And typically, on their first night back together after ten years, he cooks up something that they all used to go wild over. Cira tells them that it’s one of her favorite meals too.

Ignis then brags about Cira, and how she’s nowhere near as picky as Noctis is and that feeding her was 10 times easier than feeding her mother.

Aranea turned up for dessert, having flown to Lestallum as soon as she got word that Noctis was back. Cira was so happy to see her, to reintroduce Aranea and Noctis to one another after being gone for so long. She looked up to Aranea a bit, and Noctis admitted that she too looked up to her when she was younger, after their second meeting at the ruins near the Vesperpool.

She doesn’t look much older at all, despite being in her late 30s, but her attitude is so much more different around Cira. She’s kind, and speaks in a softer voice. Though Noctis was entertained by her wit, and her general ‘fuck it all’ attitude, she found herself liking this side of Aranea too. No, Noctis didn’t blame Ignis at all for taking a liking to her.

Cira is helping Iris with cleanup while the others tend to their own business. Ignis is discussing their plans for the morning with Gladio, and Prompto is trying to gather all of his equipment into one bag so they can easily fit it into the car.

Aranea and Noctis stare out at the darkness beyond the horizon, all light is devoid past Lestallum – only the moon brightens the night sky.

“I knew you were gonna come back.” Aranea says, leaning out over the balcony. “Babysitting Ignis was fun while it lasted, but I’m glad to see you made it out of that damn crystal alive.”

“I’m glad that you were able to help him get back on his feet. I… I don’t think that things would’ve worked out the way they did if it hadn’t been for you.” Noctis smiles, but she feels as though Aranea has more to say.

“I know – you’re probably wondering what was going on between us. Ugh – hard to explain, but like, you deserve some sort of explanation. You and Ignis were inseparable, right?”

“I already heard from Ignis what you guys were about. It’s fine. I was gone for ten years, I wasn’t expecting anybody to wait for me. People move on, it’s how we are.”

“You lot and your polyamory are too damn accepting. Bugs the shit outta me.”

Noctis laughs, shrugging her shoulders all the while. Yeah, she wasn’t expecting her lovers to just… not do anything in her absence, but it was mainly because she trusted them. Even when they were younger, there was always that understanding that they had their own lives to attend to, and that they were going to be involved with different people. Noctis’ own interpretation of their relationship was that they had an inseparable bond, a connection that was deeper than any other that they’d experience. They were committed to each other, and they would die for each other. It was much more than romance.

“Do you love Ignis?” Noctis asks.

“Complicated. It’s something else – I want what’s best for him. And I’m too much of a free spirit to do any sort of commitment. Marriage isn’t my style.”

She nods in understanding. What Aranea is trying to say is something she got, but couldn’t quite put into words. More than friends, and closer than lovers. Noctis thinks that maybe – just maybe, Aranea might fit into their little circle of trust. She was a bit older though, and therefore maybe couldn’t wrap her head around the idea.

“I don’t want to take Ignis away from you. I think that’s what I’m tryin’ to say. But I do like his company.”

“You don’t need my permission to apprehend him, yunno.”

“Cool. ‘Cuz I’m totally carrying his baby, right now. But like – only because I asked. Is that weird? Like he knocked me up as my friend.”

Noctis blinked a few times, staring at Aranea in disbelief. Back when they first got to know Aranea, she expressed a desire to have a family, and she could’ve only guessed that being around Cira from such an early age made her confident in her skills to be a mother.

It was shocking, sure, to know that Ignis provided Aranea with something in a completely platonic manner (though from what she understood, they did use each other for physical release) but Aranea looks happy about it. She’s glowing – Noctis is happy for her.

“That's – that’s great, Aranea.”

“Yeah. Wasn’t getting any younger. Wanted a kid real bad… so.” She smiles at Noctis, “He’s all yours, though. It’s like I said – I’m not really into commitment. But I know he’s too stubborn to let me raise my kid myself. It’s whatever.”

“Well. I mean, ten years is a lot – but it’ll be nice to let Cira have a friend sometime in the future.”

“It’s not that much – seeing as me and you are having this conversation right now.”

“Hm – guess you’re right.”

* * *

 

It’s much quieter now with everybody gone. 

The family of five were left on their own, and Ignis’ apartment felt much more spacious – it was peaceful. Cira was getting ready for bed, and Iris would return in the morning to look after her once Noctis and her friends left for Insomnia. She’s tired, but it’s obvious that she doesn’t want to sleep. It felt cruel not to mention it to her, but they said they would only be gone for a couple of days – and Cira was afraid that she’d wake up and Noctis would never return.

It was too much to have to think about, and Noctis didn’t want to lie to her little girl and tell her that she would be back with the others. That when the sun rose, Noctis would be there to show it to her.

The others didn’t know this either – they didn’t know what her calling entailed. But that would be a discussion for the four of them to have.

Cira was too little to understand. She couldn’t be told something like this and be able to take it to heart. She’d be angry, and devastated – and at least if Noctis died without her knowing that it was something she intended to do, maybe she wouldn’t live her life with a grudge against her mother. She’d think it was an accident, and her mother would still be pure in her eyes.

Noctis lays in Ignis’ arms as Gladio and Prompto play some sort of card game with Cira. They’ve been trying to tire her out, feeling too guilty to force her to sleep when Noctis was there, and she would be gone in the morning. She’s getting there, though, and Noctis told her that she’d help her to bed.

Cira insisted that she was able to sleep on her own, and that she was 10 years old, not a baby that needed constant coddling and attention. But Noctis wanted to do this for her – to spend the night with her little girl.

“So – when you guys get back, the sun’s gonna come out, right?”

Noctis nods her head, “That’s right. All of the bad things on this planet are gonna be gone – poof.” She hums, feeling Ignis thread his fingers through her hair.

“And when the sun’s out, we’re going to go back into the city and live there for real?”

“Yeah. You remember all of the pictures Prompto showed you?”

Cira smiles, “Mmhmm.”

“That’s gonna be your room.” Noctis sees her daughter’s features brighten up. “Mine will be down the hall.”

“Are you all going to live with us?”

“Only if your mom lets me.” Prompto winks at Noctis, and she can’t help herself as she laughs.

“I’d let you, Prompto.”

“I have a house that’s not too far from the citadel.” Gladio chimes in, gathering the cards that were scattered along the coffee table. “I might have to stay there – but we’ll see how it works out.”

“I’ll reside within the citadel as well.” Ignis says, “Though I live in a different part from you and your mother.”

Cira yawns, but nods in understanding. She looks like she’s ready to fall asleep, and that’s enough to get Noctis up and off of her partner. Ignis presses a kiss to her cheek before she sits up, gesturing to Cira.

“After tomorrow – the sun will be back up. And if you go to bed at this time tomorrow, you should wake up to see it rise.” Noctis reaches out to her daughter, who doesn’t hesitate when called to. She gets pulled into her mother’s arms, squeezed real tight. “So we should get you to bed right now.”

“Aww – but I don’t want to. I’m 10! I’m nearly a teenager.”

Noctis laughs, peppering kisses against Cira’s cheek, much to her dismay. There was Cira’s aversion to being smothered in affection. She put up with it initially because she was so overjoyed to see Noctis, but like mother like daughter, it wouldn’t last for long.

“I’ll come with you. I’m really tired, myself. It’s been a _really_ long day.” Noctis yawns, looking away from her daughter. “So – if _you_ wanna stay up, that’s cool. But as soon as my head hits that pillow, I’m crashing.”

Cira pouts slightly before she finally gives in, standing up from the floor.

“Fine. I guess I am a little sleepy.”

“Go ahead to sleep, baby girl. We’ll be back before you know it.”

Cira looks at Gladio, smiling to him. Noctis whispers to her that she should say goodnight to them first, and to wish them luck because it was going to be a long drive back to Insomnia. She approaches him and throws her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Gladio chuckles, kissing her forehead before setting her free to say her goodnights to the others.

She practically dives into Prompto, who swings her around like it’s nothing. He bulked up quite a bit, and right now, he was just showing off what he could do.

Cira’s approach to Ignis is much more gentle, possibly due to the knowledge of his eye injury. He hugs her against him and whispers something soft into her ear, and she can’t help but smile wider.

“Goodnight, kitten. We’ll see you in a couple of days.”

Noctis takes Cira’s hand as they depart down the hall to Cira’s small bedroom. She was told that when she was still really small, Prompto helped Ignis design it the way they thought that she’d like. It was a tight fit, but nearly every apartment in Lestallum was structured this way, tightly so they could fit as many people in one building as possible, even though Ignis’ residence was one of the nicest developments in the city. Iris lived a few stories higher, in one of the high end penthouses. Ignis was offered one for himself, but he insisted that he didn’t need all of that space.

He always preferred living in something more simple, modern. If he needed space, it was for his work – and right now, his work was fighting daemons and raising a ten year old.

She said her favorite color was blue, and a majority of her furniture was proof to show. Her walls were white, with blue curtains and accents. Her bedsheets match, along with the rug sprawled on the wooden floor. Some of the artwork Prompto told Noctis about is framed, and she wonders where she gets her creativity from – because as far as she knew, none of her partners had the ability to draw.

Ignis really took good care of her, and she’s made a mental note to thank him for being such a dedicated parent. Sure, she gave him tons of experience since he practically helped raise her despite there being only a two year age gap, but it paid off.

Noctis helps Cira into bed, and she takes up such a small amount of space, easily leaving her mother enough room to lay on.

Noctis doesn’t actually have any intention of sleeping, but she knows that the others don’t really either. But she lays next to her daughter, and wraps her arms around her.

“Did you have a good day, today?” She asks, pushing her fingers through Cira’s bangs, getting better access to her big, blue eyes. Cira can only nod, smiling up at her mother.

“I think today was the best day of my life.” Cira’s voice is tired, but genuine. Noctis can’t help but kiss her on the forehead, earning a giggle from her daughter. “Did you like today too?”

“I did. I think today was the second best day of my life.”

“What was the first?” She asks.

Noctis takes a deep breath, grinning down at her.

“The day you were born.”

* * *

 

She sat by her daughter for hours, watching her sleep. She pet through her hair, and she talked to Cira until she finally knocked out. It was something that Noctis needed… _terribly_. She told Cira of her childhood, the things that Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis couldn’t tell her. She explained how she got herself into the position she was in now – that maybe Cira didn’t understand, but would appreciate as she grew older. Noctis told her how she was such a big surprise in her life, but the best thing that ever happened to her. 

She told Cira that she loved her partners, Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto all equally – and when they were younger, they were inseparable – and she wanted nothing more than for them to live as a family again. She told her that they all planned on raising her together, and that in the beginning, she wanted them to be a _big_ family. She wanted Cira to grow up around other children, so she’d never feel lonely.

Noctis apologized to Cira, for being gone for so long – even though Cira was definitely half asleep by the time she got to it. She told her that she never intended to leave, but it was what the gods had wanted. She wanted to make up for it.

Most importantly, Noctis told Cira that she loved her – and Cira told her that she loved her too.

When Noctis finally leaves, and closes Cira’s door, she sees her partners sprawled out in the living room, all likely discussing their plans for the next couple of hours. Her features soften, and she finds herself in the middle of their group huddle.

She rests her head against Prompto’s shoulder, and they all sit quietly, staring blankly at the wall. They’re all exhausted, but none of them can sleep.

“Iris is on her way now.” Gladio says, “We should get a headstart. Once we get there, we can survey the area. See what it is we’re up against.”

They nod in agreement, starting to gather themselves. She decides that she’ll take the wheel from there on out, since Ignis was no longer able to, and nobody wanted Prompto in the drivers seat anymore. A four hour drive would give Noctis time to clear her head, and script out what exactly she was going to say to her loved ones before they were to depart for the city. She knows that none of them know the truth about her calling – and she isn’t sure how they’re going to take it.

Iris is at Ignis’ door within five minutes, and she’s given very specific instructions on how to handle Cira, as if she’s never watched over her niece for extended periods of time before. She knew that things felt different, though – that there was this question as to whether or not _any_ of them would be returning.

Iris tells them that she believes in them – and that they’ll all be waiting when the job gets finished, when the sun rises.

They’re on the road before they know it, and Noctis is speeding her way through the empty highway. The plan was to drive to Hammerhead, and make camp at the haven overlooking the city. This way they could try and get _some_ rest before heading out, and they could have their well deserved time alone. As much as Noctis wanted to spend more time in Lestallum, with her daughter, she knew that it wasn’t in anybody’s best interest.

Ardyn would be waiting – and if she stalled any longer, there was no telling what would become of the world.

“Do you think that the city’s still intact?”

Noctis side eyes Prompto a bit, taking a moment to think.

They hadn’t been inside of Insomnia since they departed for Noctis’ wedding to Luna. From what Iris said so long ago, only the major landmarks were targeted, and many of the neighborhoods on the outskirts of the citadel were spared. They were sure that, by now, the city was completely empty – as many of the other areas in Lucis were. Overridden by daemons, citizens trying to evacuate when things started turning _really_ bad – murdered if they didn’t make it out on time.

Yes, she thinks Insomnia is in one piece, but it’s undoubtedly had a very ugly makeover.

“I don’t think all that much repair will be necessary when we finish the job – if that’s what you’re asking.” She answers him truthfully. “It’s probably not going to be pretty, and I’m sure that it’s a mess – that we’re going to need all the help we can get when it comes to organizing things back to the way they were. But yeah, I think sunlight is all it’s really going to need.”

“That’s good… I want everyone to be able to go back to their home as soon as possible. Lestallum’s nice… but it’s nothing compared to the crown city.”

“It really is pretty unique.”

They’re in Hammerhead before they know it, and though it’s still dark, they know it’s impossibly late.

She wasn’t expecting the camp to be fun, but in the middle of setting it up with everyone, she starts to lose herself. And they all deserve an explanation – why she was able to keep it together until they made it here. Seeing Insomnia across the horizon only made the ending to their journey real – she wasn’t ready to go.

She’s engulfed in warmth after she drops to her knees, her partners hold her tightly.

Noctis tells them everything.

She tells them of what her time in the crystal was doing for her, she tells them that she met with Bahamut, who told her of her terrible fate. She told them what her terrible fate meant for her, what it meant for all of them – what it meant for Cira. The others are _angry_ , they’re livid – not with her, but with the world. They’re disgusted at the fact that Noctis, who was possibly the most genuine person they all knew, kind hearted and fair, a beloved member of society, a cherished partner to her loved ones, a mother who never got to show her potential, was sentenced to death for sins that she did not commit.

And she’s unhappy as well, she doesn’t understand why it had to be _her_. She doesn’t understand how the gods could wish this fate upon _anybody_. There was nobody that deserved that sort of burden.

It was all the gods fault in the first place, for putting that burden on Ardyn, a tool in their games – who was now taking out his grudge on the planet.

Noctis didn’t deserve any of this. She was leaving behind everything, her family, her daughter – and she knew that she was doing the right thing. If it had to be her for the world to see the sun again, then she would.

She could’ve ran – she knows that she could’ve ran and left the world in eternal darkness. Perhaps in another hundred years or so, someone else would come along who would have to take on the same journey – someone who wouldn’t have been afraid of death. And though Noctis is scared, terrified – she knows that it has to be her.

She has to do this for the sunlight – she has to do it for Cira.

Her friends are speechless when she breaks down into tears, having explained it all to them, and one by one, they start losing themselves too.

They can’t even begin to comprehend the pain that Noctis must be suffering, but the empathy that flows through their bodies is ripping them all to shreds. None of them want to continue on, but Noctis assures them that it has to be done.

The world would be better for it – and that they had to live on to rebuild Insomnia, to grow old with one another and their children – to ensure that Cira was going to be a queen that the people would love and talk about for generations, since it would be her that brought Insomnia out of it’s rut.

They lay in the tent, thriving in each other’s warmth, and though the idea of sleep is frightening, since it would bring tomorrow about, they feel a little more at peace being in each other’s company – for this one final night.

Prompto hasn’t stopped crying, and it breaks their hearts, but Noctis holds him close, letting him sob into her shoulder.

“I’m so grateful that I was able to have you all in my life.” She says, through her own tears. “And in the ten years that I was trapped in that crystal, I haven’t stopped loving you.”

“I was ready, yunno.” Gladio’s got his hand on Noctis’ hip, gazing into her tearful blue eyes. “I wanted us to be like we were again. It really sucks. And I’ll try – I’ll try to better myself, so we can work as a team. But it’s gonna be really fuckin’ hard without you, Noct.”

“I know – I know. I’m so sorry.”

“I don’t know if we’re going to be able to do it. But I wont run.”

“I’m not going anywhere either, Gladio. We swore to stay by Noct’s side at the start of our journey – and I’m not going to go back on my word.”

Noctis smiles at Ignis, as he wraps his arm around both her and Prompto, eyes drifting closed as he nuzzles his face in Prompto’s hair, trying to calm his nerves. Gladio follows suit, spooning Noctis leaving no room in between any of their bodies. They lay together in the tent, huddled underneath a single blanket.

“Cira’s going to be loved.” Prompto manages to speak through his tears. “We’re gonna make sure that she grows up to be strong – and I’m not gonna run anymore. If I can’t stand beside you, I’m gonna stand beside her.”

“I know you will. I know all of you will.”

Gladio’s got his head buried in the crook of Noctis’ neck, remembering her scent, squeezing her close with his arms around her waist.

“It’s not fair.”

No. It really wasn’t.

* * *

 

“It looks exactly the same.” 

Noctis nods in agreement to Prompto. Aside from a limited few areas of destruction, most likely caused by the raid on the citadel ten years ago, the city looked like it hadn’t been touched since they left. It was swarming with daemons, imperials with no orders other than their instinctive desire to kill – but it was empty. The power was on for certain blocks, as if Ardyn knew that they would be coming that way, lighting their path to Noctis’ demise.

They passed all of their favorite spots, reminiscing about their crazy antics they’d get up to as teenagers. They found Prompto’s old home, no remains from his parents inside – they can only imagine what became of them. They found their old school, at least where Noctis and Prompto attended, where Ignis would be there to walk them home after every class.

“When we’re finished with Ardyn, we’ll contact the hunters right away, and whatever remains of the crownsguard.” Gladio says, “This way we can get to work immediately.”

“Cor knows the layout of the city fairly well, if I’m not mistaken. If he’s willing to share the reports with us, we can get Insomnia up and running within the next couple of months.”

They reach the citadel before they know it, and though they aren’t surprised when the whole building lights up, it makes them more weary of what’s to come.

The whole building is fully functional, albeit, a total mess. Papers scattered along the floor, desks overturned, some broken and scattered into pieces. They can only imagine the disaster that occurred while those who were attending work attempted to flee when it was attacked.

Noctis’ heart pounds as they board the elevator, taking them to exactly where they need to be. It’s the Throne Room where all of this will end, where Noctis will rightfully take her place as Insomnia’s king, and complete her duty to her people.

They stop in front of the door, and Noctis turns to Prompto, trying her best to smile at him.

“Prompto – I know you’re going to do great from here on out.”

“Noct – don’t – “

“No. I… don’t know what lies beyond that door. So let me just say what I have to, alright?”

She clenches her fists, stepping forward as she pulls Prompto into her arms, squeezing him tightly.

“You were the one who helped me understand my humanity. You brought me out of countless fits of depression, you helped me learn how to be myself – that it’s okay to be weird, and a little quirky.” She rests her forehead against his, feeling his breath hitch against her lips. “I’m so proud of you for coming so far. You’ve grown into the man you’ve always wanted to be – and I’m glad that I was able to see you get there. You’re my heart, and I’ll always be in yours.”

Prompto’s shaking in her hold, his knees growing weak as he clutches onto her. She presses her lips to his, cupping his face in her hands. He practically stumbles back when they part, and he’s ready for the tears to flow freely from his eyes once more, but he tries his best to stay strong. She can’t see him fall apart – not anymore.

She holds Ignis’ hand to her chest after approaching him, and he’s somewhat avoiding her gaze. All the times he had cried in front of her had been moments where they were able to rejoice. This feeling of uncertainty wasn’t foreign to him, but he didn’t want to cry right now. Not when they had made it this far.

“Iggy. I would be nothing if it hadn’t been for your guidance, and your support. You pushed me when I didn’t think I could go any further, but you always did so in a way that made me feel like it was alright if I needed a break.” Noctis smiles at him, “And thank you, for being the only one who didn’t chicken out on me when I gave birth to Cira. Thanks for fathering her when I wasn’t around.”

“It… it was my pleasure.” He says, feeling her push her fingers through his hair, moving in close to share a kiss.

Prompto takes Ignis’ arm in his own when she finally pulls away. And they stand to the side, allowing Noctis to get in her moment with Gladio as well.

When she steps up to him, she _immediately_ wails her fist in his nose. He stumbles back, covering his face with his hands, cursing under his breath – wondering if the damn thing is _broken_. He can guess what it was for, though, and he knows that he deserved it. He’s only surprised that she didn’t punch him sooner.

“ _That_ – “ She begins, “is for knocking me up, for pushing me to do things I wasn’t ready to do, for taking your own anger and frustrations out on me when I didn’t deserve it, and for being some mythical phantom in Cira’s life.”

All he can do is nod, wiping the blood from his nose with his sleeve. Yes, he definitely deserved that.

“But thank you, Gladio, for giving me the best gift I could’ve ever asked for. Thank you for listening to me when I needed someone to talk to, for holding me when I needed someone to lean on.” She throws her arms around him next, “Tell Cira that it’s okay to cry. Tell her that she can call you dad if she wants. And if you need to cry, you cry all the damn tears you want. I know you, and I know that deep down, you’re a lot softer than you think.”

“Fuck – Noct.”

The others embrace her at once, squeezing her tight in between all of their bodies, showering her with kisses and affection. She doesn’t think that this is goodbye – but she knows that once she meets face to face with Ardyn, it was only a short ride to her ascension.

She asks Prompto for a photo, one that she can take with her as they go, and he presents her with a photo of the four of them on the day Cira was born. Their daughter is held tightly against Noctis’ chest, her tuft of black hair sticks out of baby blue blankets. She’s leaning against Gladio who’s got his arm around her shoulder, while Ignis sits to her other side, with Prompto in front of him. The four of them are admiring the small miracle in her arms, and they look content, and as though they were ready to take on the world for the tiny baby girl.

It’s all she needs to move on.

And after Ardyn has been disposed of, and he awaits for her in the afterlife, she says one final goodbye to her loved ones. They bow to give her their respect, and she’s set free.

Sitting in her throne as she calls to the kings of Lucis, waiting for them all to thrust their blades into her chest – to take her to the next life where she would be reunited with her father, with Luna, and be able to tell them everything that happened on her journey to her ascension. Death doesn’t seem that bad when she knows that she can look after everyone from where she stands in the heavens.

It doesn’t make it hurt any less when she sees her father, and he prepares to make the final strike.

The sun was going to rise, and that would make the suffering worth it all.

* * *

 

It’s bright when she opens her eyes. 

It’s the _sun_.

She remembers everything that happened after the last blade was thrust into her, taking her life so Eos could live peacefully again. She remembers meeting with Ardyn, and stripping him from existence, giving him eternal rest so he could no longer set his wrath on the world.

She remembers meeting with Luna, taking her hand and telling her _everything_.

It was all vivid – she knew that it wasn’t a dream. She was there, she was _there_ and she saw her father. She heard him talk about how proud he was of her, that she came so far. He asked to see photos of his granddaughter, and Noctis was able to pull out _dozens_. He joked a bit, how he should’ve been more strict with her – to ensure that something like this wouldn’t have happened, since parenthood was a whole other journey that one had to prepare for. But he wasn’t disappointed, he said that he would’ve accepted Cira into their family with open arms.

He would’ve spoiled her, and showed her off to anybody who was willing.

Luna wasn’t offended when Noctis admitted that committing to marrying her wasn’t an idea that she was necessarily head over heels in love with. She felt as though she was too young for marriage, and that Luna deserved better.

They talked – it seemed like hours. Noctis felt a sense of melancholy, but she was at peace with her place in life. If she needed to stay here for Eos to resume as it once was, then she didn’t mind. She’d stay put – she knew she had the ability to watch over Insomnia if she so pleased.

But _then_ she was tapped on the shoulder. She doesn’t know by who, or what for. And yet she falls to the floor, sleep taking over her body.

And when she wakes up, she’s in some place familiar, though she knows she hasn’t been here in a _very_ long time.

None of that was a dream – she knows it. It was too real, and she remembers the pain. She remembers the feeling of Luna’s hands in her own, she remembers being embraced by her father.

She remembers hearing their voices, being told that it was alright – it wasn’t really her time to go. That what the gods asked of her was cruel, but she went through with it – and it was that type of determination that they were looking for.

It was alright to go back.

Noctis feels her heart pounding in her chest as tries focusing on the beautifully tiled ceiling. The bed she lays in is much too big, and there’s nobody surrounding her. She can hardly lift her head, move any of her limbs. It feels as though she’s been laying here for weeks.

“Noct…”

She winces at the sound of her name, an accent carries it through the room. Blue eyes wander as she searches for somebody, _anybody_ to tell her what’s going on. The bed dips as someone puts their weight next to her, and a hand runs through her messied hair, bangs pushed from her face. Ignis comes into view, looking as he did the day Noctis went off to put Ardyn’s antics to an end. He looks cleaner, adorned in the clothing he typically slept in.

She tries pushing herself up, but she still feels searing pain through her body.

“No, no. It’s alright – don’t move too much. We’ve been doing our best to heal your wounds, they’re almost gone.” He says, his hand resting against her ribcage. “I can help you.”

Her throat feels dry, but she wants to talk, to ask him what was going on. She wants to know where she is – what Ignis is doing with her?

He positions his hand against her back, helping her adjust into a more upwards position. Her head pounds as she lays her head back against the pillows. He mentioned her wounds and yes, it absolutely feels as though she had dozens of swords thrust into her chest. It felt terrible, stinging like an absolute bitch. As if he’s reading her goddamn thoughts, he hands her a glass of water, and as she looks to her side, she sees an elixir that he was sure he was going to pour down her throat once she was a little more conscious.

“I-Iggy…”

“As… we were gathering your remains, the Glacian put us to a stop.”

Noctis brings the glass of water to her lips, trying not to spill it all over her lovely nightgown.

“She said to contact the others, that it was safe to enter the city once more. That we should place you in the master suite, and that she would take things from there.”

Ignis straightens his posture, taking the cup from Noctis as she finished drinking, placing it on the night table.

“The sun rose while we were battling for your safe travel to the afterlife. All the daemons vanished – and we’ve spent nearly a week in the city… not one has shown up. There have been no reports of them anywhere in Lucis. Insomnia… it’s still a bit broken, and the citizens are weary, but they’ve been working hard to restore it back to it’s former glory.”

Noctis is perplexed, and she can’t find the right words to say. It’s not adding up.

“Shiva… told us that your sacrifice was an honorable one, but the gods heard the cries from the one they swore to protect. They decided that you’ve suffered enough – and that they’d honor her wish.”

“W-who’s wish?”

“…Cira’s, of course.”

Noctis sees Ignis gesture to the couch positioned along the wall. There she sees Gladio snoring away, with Cira sleeping on top of him – Prompto is trapped in between the cushions and his partner, a thick blanket covers the three of them.

It wasn’t that she _forgot_ that her daughter was protected by the Astrals, but she never really understood what it meant for Cira. Cira’s wish was to spend the rest of her life by her mother’s side, living a happy and healthy long life – and she was such a determined girl. Shiva couldn’t ignore Cira’s request – Noctis had to return to her former life and lead the kingdom in their journey to restoration.

“Shiva said that trying to convince the others that it was in humanity’s best interest was difficult. But she refused to give up. It’s been a few days since your ascension, Noct, but… she assured us that you would wake up once you were ready.”

None of it was a dream.

She looked at Ignis with complete and utter disbelief. She feels as if she’s choking, trying to make sense of it all. Breathing was becoming really difficult all of a sudden, and she found herself grasping onto her partner’s sleeve.

“I… I know, Noct. It feels like a cruel joke.” He says, taking her hand in his own. “To force you to accept death as your only option – only to take it all back. I don’t expect you to be alright with this… but you’re alive.”

She chokes out a sob, tears streaming down her face.

“I didn’t – I wasn’t here. I – I saw Luna… and I saw my dad.”

Noctis cries out, feeling the pain shooting through her chest – though she can’t stop herself. Ignis pulls her close, cradling her against him as he adjusts himself. She’s holding onto him tightly, and she can hardly contain herself.

It was a cruel joke. It was terrible – to accept her fate with no real way out. She had no _choice_. She had to leave her loved ones on Eos, she had to leave her daughter after preparing herself for motherhood. She knew she should’ve been happy, but she just felt miserable. It was so much to take in, to try to come to terms with the fact that yes, she died, and her death saved the planet – but now it was over, and she was just… back.

She didn’t know what to do with herself.

“I’m so sorry, Noct. For everything you’ve been through.”

“I didn’t want to die – I wasn’t ready.”

“And you’re here. It’s real. You don’t have to go back.”

Noctis pulls away from him, staring down at the bedsheets. She was just shell shocked, really. Being alive after accepting her devastating demise was the last thing that she’d have expected. Bahamut was so _clear_ when he told her of her status as the one chosen by the stars. She wasn’t dead – she wasn’t dead, and she was going to be allowed to live her best life. She was allowed to be with her loved ones, with Cira. The star scourge was over, daemons were purged from the planet – night and day were balanced once more.

She was _alive_ and it wasn’t a joke. She was here.

She was sitting in the citadel, in the master suite where her father once resided. Her partners were off to the side, waiting for her to awake. It was all over.

Noctis looks up to Ignis once more, lip quivering as she goes to speak.

“It’s over.”

He smiles, nodding his head.

“You did it, Noct. You’re Lucis’ king, and the people have rejoiced in your name.”

She hears shuffling coming from the other side of the room.

Cira’s head pops up from the blankets, blue eyes immediately locking with Noct’s as they find each other. She hesitates, as if she’s trying to figure out if she’s dreaming or not. Small hands start shaking Gladio, trying to rouse him from his slumber. The three of them; Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto had been taking turns watching over Noct, waiting for her to finally wake up. They hardly left her side, often camping out on the floor for their meals. They were all exhausted, Noctis almost felt guilty having to see them disturbed from their sleep.

Gladio groans when Cira’s technique becomes a little more violent, but he opens his eyes. Prompto whines once Cira starts shuffling off of their bodies.

“Dad, Prompto – mom’s awake. She’s up. She’s sitting with Iggy.” Cira whispers, “You guys gotta get up – she’s finally awake!”

The small black haired girl takes off not five seconds after, practically diving onto the mattress so she could be with her mother. Ignis shields Noctis slightly, as to not agitate her injuries anymore, and Cira knows to back off. She approaches Noctis carefully, seeing how her eyes were wet with tears.

“Mom…”

Noctis looks at her daughter in disbelief. She was really here, sitting right in front of her. She was illuminated by the sun pouring in from the windows, and now Noctis can really get a better look at her daughter, in the light that she was born in – the light she deserved to be seen in.

Her big blue eyes watch Noctis with caution, as if she could disappear if she so much as blinked. Cira reaches out to Noctis’ hand, taking it in her own.

“I-I was afraid… I was scared that I wouldn’t ever get to see you again.”

Noctis can only nod, feeling a wave of emotion come over her. She sees the concern written on Cira’s face, and she tries to keep herself composed but it’s too hard. She had to remind herself that it was okay to cry.

She chokes out a sob, squeezing Cira’s hands in her own.

“I was afraid too, baby girl.” Noctis feels her emotions tearing through her body. “I was so, so scared.”

Cira moves in slowly, wrapping her arms around her mother, being held close as Noctis cries out – catharsis finally finding it’s way to the surface, after so long. She was here with Cira, and she wasn’t going anywhere. She was going to get to see her daughter grow up, to help her on her way to become queen. Her loved ones would be by her side, and she’d be able to continue on as she was supposed to.

Gladio and Prompto spring up from the couch, rushing to Noctis’ side, all in disbelief that she actually woke up. Prompto can’t help himself, throwing his arms around mother and daughter, and Gladio follows suit, pulling Ignis along with them.

They were together again, and there wasn’t anything that was going to pull them apart.

* * *

 

Insomnia looked better than Noctis initially thought it would. It was really a huge relief, knowing that the only work that had to be done was restoring the power and getting businesses back on their feet with the help of some imports from Lestallum. There wasn’t much left of humanity, after the star scourge, but there was enough to fill out the parts of Lucis that were once bustling with people. 

They were all happy to return to their old lives after ten long years, and those who resided within Insomnia were all willing to help it get back on it’s feet.

The Citadel itself had quite some damage, having been the main target after the attack the empire pulled on them, but construction already began. What was most important was trying to put the government back together, with Noctis as the head of the monarchy.

Ignis’ years of studying and research absolutely paid off, because he did so _flawlessly_. Of course it would still be a while before things were back to normal, nobody was expecting the city to return to the way it was overnight, but they had a great start and it was looking promising.

10 years ago, Noctis didn’t think she’d ever be where she was now. She wasn’t ready to be King, and she was forced into that position much too early. She felt pressured into taking responsibility that was far too much for her to bear, and Ignis always said that she would take the throne when she felt it was time. Accepting her position as King that faithful night she sent Ardyn to rest was something she was able to do only because she was _ready_.

Her journey to adulthood had to be sped up, and in the middle of it all she gets the news that she’s carrying a baby, and it was as if all of her responsibilities had doubled. It was all too much for her to handle, to be a mother and to be king. Yet when she first held tiny Cira in her arms – she understood. It made sense.

Noctis knows that without everything that had happened, without Cira, she wouldn’t be where she was now.

“Mom!”

Cira’s voice rings through the halls, snapping Noctis out of her thoughts. She sets her pen down on the paperwork she was filling out, all dealing with the restoration process. She had been working on it for quite a few hours, trying to get a majority of it done before the event. It was only a few hours away, but she knew that it would fly by.

“C’mon – are you ready? People are starting to gather.”

Tonight was the night that Cira would be introduced to the kingdom as Noctis’ daughter. She knew it came as a surprise to her people, to learn that their King has a _secret_ child, but people took the news well. They understood why Cira was kept a secret for so long, during the Imperial raids, through the ten long years of darkness. Noctis would address all of Lucis, and speak about the progress that was to be made in restoration. She’d talk about her goals as Lucis’ leader, what she hoped to accomplish for the people, such as a King would do.

But Cira would be formally introduced as Cira Lucis Caelum, the crown princess of Lucis.

She was excited, needless to say, but terribly nervous. Noctis assured her that the news had already spread wide, and that people were excited to meet her, but there was also that sense of fear that maybe she’d be rejected because she was kept a secret for so long – but Noctis was positive that she’d be loved.   
  
She was the one who managed to bring Noct back to life, after all.

Cira waltzes into the room, adorned in one of the dresses Noctis was gifted as a child, never worn due to her strong aversion. It suited Cira much better than it would’ve ever suited Noctis, and she thought it was the prettiest dress that she’d ever seen. She was more than enthusiastic to prance around in it.

“Dad’s waiting by the parlor.” She says, “The people of the crownsguard are all getting ready to stand with us. He said that there are a _lot_ of people outside.”

“Mmmm, _people_.” Noctis sticks her tongue out, “I’m nervous.”

“Aww but I’ll be there. And dad too – and Iggy and Prompto.”

“As long as _you_ guys are there then I _guess_ I’ll be fine.” Noctis stands up from her place at the desk, swinging around to lift Cira off her feet, spinning the two in a circle. “Lead the way, princess.”

She’s more than happy to take Noctis’ hand and lead her down the halls, crowds are blocking the pathway for them, all people waiting for Noctis’ address. Though this was still an event where Noctis had to act like royalty, a majority of the people gathered weren’t those of high status. This was _much_ different than the average ball, where a 17 year old Noctis would be hiding in a corner behind Ignis and Gladio – it wasn’t a time to impress, it was a time to rejoice. Progress was being made.

Cira is swept off her feet immediately after entering the ballroom, squealing when Gladio lifts her up into the air.

“Hey princess – ready to show your beautiful face off to the public?”

The young girl is set back on the floor, folding her arms over her chest. She pouts up at Gladio, who can’t help but laugh.

“There’s a lot of people here. It’s scary.”

“Aw, c’mon. S’not that bad.”

Noctis playfully punches Gladio in the bicep, giving him a knowing smirk.

“It _is_ scary. But dad’s gonna be here to make sure people give us our space, yeah?”

The uniform he’s dressed in makes him look _proper_. Noctis really wasn’t used to it, the last time she saw him dressed up was the day they went to find Ardyn. Now that she wasn’t on her way to her death, it felt refreshing to see him dressed for his job. He had every intention of keeping his job as the sworn shield, having made the oath to protect Noctis, and now their daughter.

The three of her partners would be there to stand beside her as they made their address.

Despite things falling apart during the ten years Noctis was absent, they all reconciled without problem. Yes, Ignis was somewhat committed to Aranea as they now had a child on the way, but Aranea was unsurprisingly cool with the arrangement they all had with one another. She even made a few jokes about finally getting to bang the big hot bodyguard who wouldn't stop staring at her whenever she’d drop in from the sky and assist them in battle. She was still mostly interested in keeping things between her and Ignis fairly exclusive, but she enjoyed being around the others, saying that it really did feel like being accepted into a big, loving family. Prompto and Noctis had talked about marriage a couple of times, as a way to shut the public up about their leader being a single mother, and to keep Prompto involved in the royal mix since he still didn’t seem too keen on being a member of the crownsguard but wanted to help out when he could. Noctis was certain that she’d be the one proposing, as Prompto was too damn nervous to even say the word ‘marriage.’

He joked about being the royal intern, being the one who was in charge of all of Noctis’ official social media accounts – in truth, that position belonged to Talcott, who proof read nearly everything Prompto typed up.

Iris took over house Amicitia, with her partner of three years, a lovely young woman who went by the name of Mars. She told Noctis that within two or three years, she’d have a shield ready for Cira, since Gladio messed up the familial tradition by knocking up royalty.

The four of them would be living within the Citadel together, working as a team, with the exception of Ignis who would occasionally need to bow out every now and then to tend to Aranea and their future baby. It was still early on, but things were working themselves out – and though none of them anticipated it in their early lives, they _would_ be able to be together. It was Noctis’ wildest dreams coming true.

After all of the hurt; the pain and suffering that they had to endure, the people that were lost in the battle for peace and harmony, it was simply nice to know that it wasn’t all in vain.

“Hey! Say _fuzzy pickles_!”

Prompto pops up in front of the three of them with his camera, snapping their photo without any of them realizing what was going on. Noctis and Gladio groan, while Cira folds her arms over her chest, shooting Prompto with a look of pure disapproval.

“ _God_ , Noct – she looks just like you when I’ve pissed you off.” He can’t help but laugh, leaning down to present Cira with a small giftbag. “To make up for being inconvenient.”

“What’s the occasion?”

Prompto looks to Noct once Cira’s taken the bag into her arms, peeking inside of it to try and guess what it is. He beams at the two of them, placing his hands on his hips.

“In honor of the princess’ first public appearance as Lucian _royalty_.” Prompto hums, “Go ahead. Open it – a little piece of me, to you.”

Cira’s puzzled expression earns a laugh from her parent, digging into the bag, carefully tearing out the tissue paper covering the item inside. Once she reaches the item, her eyes widen and she smiles brightly.

A polaroid camera, baby blue in color.

“Since you’re so _artsy_ and all, figured you’d like somethin’ like this.” Prompto gets down to one knee, “I’ve been holding onto it for a while – just ‘cuz this camera takes better pictures in sunlight. So – she’s all yours.”

“Wow… thank you, Prompto.” Cira throws her arms around him, squeezing him tight. “I’m gonna take good care of it! And I’m gonna take better photos than even you, one day!”

“Oh – I _know_ you will, sweetpea.”

“You didn’t have to do that, babe.” Noctis can’t help but admire her daughter as she eagerly attempts to get the camera out of the box. Cira’s creativity was bursting at every opportunity, and having a new outlet to fuel that into would’ve been fantastic for her.

“It was nothin’. I can take her under my wing, we can be the best photographers in all of Lucis.”

“Sweetheart, why don’t you go put that away for now? You can’t have that out when I make my speech.” She ruffles up her daughter’s hair, seeing the slight disappointment in her eyes, though she nods her head in understanding. “After, you can take as many pictures as you want, m’kay?”

“Okay.” She leans up to kiss Prompto on the cheek, “You’re the best!”

The three of them watch Cira as she takes off down the hall, having memorized the direction of where their quarters were. Within the few weeks that they’ve been living here, she’s managed to know her way around at least half of the citadel. The half that wasn’t full of office firms and big businesses.

“You ready?” Gladio asks, seeing Cira disappear into the elevator. “Last I saw Ignis, he was finishing last minute preparations.”

She’s still nervous, and didn’t think that that would ever go away. It was just in her nature to hate large crowds and having to _speak_ in public, but she was feeling pretty good about the whole thing. Once she got out there and started addressing her people, she was sure that it would come about naturally. That, and she had a speech prepared – one that Ignis spent night after night helping her practice for.

“I think I am. Iggy’s gonna lead me out there, right?”

“That I am. Partial blindness couldn’t stop me.”

Noctis feels _so relieved_ at the sound of Ignis’ voice. He was so eloquent at this type of thing, his years of studying without a doubt paid off in the long run.

“Thank goodness. Once Cira gets back, we can get started.” She says, “Everything’s ready to go?”

“Absolutely. Your address is scheduled to last for about a half hour – any time to spare is to be used for questions. You remember everything we’ve practiced?”

“Yes, dear.”

“Good. Then this will move along smoothly. Afterwards, we mingle at this terribly boring royal ball, and we celebrate in the comfort of our own home.”

“Is Aranea gonna be there?” Prompto sticks close to Ignis’ side, looking around for the woman in question.

“So long as she doesn’t succumb to her morning sickness.” Ignis sort of casually points over in a vague direction, where the food trays have been laid out. Aranea is there, with a plate full of hors d’oeuvers, chatting up Iris and her girlfriend. “She hasn’t been feeling as sick, lately, so I’m sure she’ll be glad to join us for dessert.”

“Still don’t get why they call it morning sickness when it can happen during the whole damn day.” Prompto says, “Noctis was puking for like, five months straight.”

“Yeah, but I’d do it again.”

“Lemme know when.” Gladio gets a punch to the bicep from Noctis. “I mean, unless Ignis wants to take a break from his hot, older playmate.”

Ignis ignores Gladio’s remark, taking the opportunity to instead greet Cira, who was headed in their direction. She smiles once she sees Ignis standing next to her mother, immediately going in for a hug. Ignis _was_ the one who took her under his wing when it was necessary, so she was always very gentle when it came to him.

“Princess, are _you_ prepared for the address?” He asks, unable to hold back a smile when she nods.

“Yeah! I’m gonna stand with Prompto until mom asks me go to the microphone with her.” Cira knows how to speak loudly, and eloquently when it’s necessary; something Ignis was _very_ proud of. “I’m gonna introduce myself, and then I’m gonna wait for mom to finish her speech so we can wave and go back inside.”

“Sounds like she’s got it down to a T.” Gladio says, looking to the crowd; beginning to die down as they all make their way outside – where the address would be held.

“Very well. Let’s get started, then.”

* * *

 

“I’m sure that the news of my daughter came as a surprise to many of you, and I’m sincerely sorry that you were all kept in the literal dark as a result of my disappearance.” 

Noctis was killing her speech, and her partners couldn’t have been even more proud. They stuck to her side since the beginning, and being able to see her overcome her fears and become such an admirable leader made all their hearts swell with pride. It was a long journey, to see her come this far, but the result was better than any of them would’ve ever imagined.

Cira approached Noctis’ side once addressed, stepping up to the podium so she could be at her mother’s height.

“Had it not been for her, I’m not sure if I would be here right now. So, let me introduce you all to _my_ personal sunshine who helped me out of darkness.”

The two stand side by side, and Noctis can’t help the smile that spreads across her face when she feels Cira’s hand tug at her own. She can’t see much of the people in the crowd, but there’s a positivity radiating from it. Any of Cira’s fears of being rejected by the people of Lucis was immediately cast aside, feeling the acceptance from miles away. Mother and daughter were finally going to be able to rule together, and there wouldn’t be anything to hold them back.

Noctis thinks back to Luna, and how she still wished that she could rule by her side, and the strange realization that perhaps Luna felt better amongst the astrals, being able to look over the planet as a whole and ensure everyone’s safety. In a way, Luna was standing beside her as well, giving her the confidence needed to continue on her journey. She thinks about her father, how he gave his life to ensure a future like this would even be _possible_. She’s so grateful, and there were no words for her to express how important their sacrifices were – that she’d never forget them and she’d ensure that they were given the respect that they deserved.

Noctis looks to her partners, standing only a few feet behind her. They’re all smiling, waiting for her to finish her speech. Without the three of them, none of this would’ve been possible. She was going to grow old with them, and watch as their children and grandchildren took over their places in Insomnia – it was all like a dream.

But all of this was real.

Focusing on the crowd once more, she gives a confident nod to her people in the audience.

Cira brought her out of the darkness she was doomed to reside in for the rest of her life. Cira was going to rule by her side, and eventually be queen some day. She might’ve been absent for ten years, but Noct was going to make it up to her and be the best mother that she could be. And all of that started today.

“This is Cira Lucis Caelum – crown princess of Lucis.”

Her daughter’s smile brightens the room, and she steps up to the microphone – to finally let her voice be heard.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all!”


	4. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> five years later~

“But _Prompto_ … you _know_ that I’m gonna ace that exam. You promised me you’d help me beat the game tonight.”

Listening to Cira’s cries for salvation was fucking impossible to simply _ignore_. She had a good point – Ignis helped her with her studies so much that she was practically as smart as he was, but her hobbies often got in the way in her success. Sure, she had an entrance exam for one of the most prestigious high schools in Insomnia in the morning, but she was also stuck on the final boss battle of a twenty year old video game that Noctis managed to dig out of her old closet and present to her daughter on her fifteenth birthday.

Cira would excel on that exam no matter what – but this game? That was an entirely different story.

It’s nearly before dinner when she approached Prompto, puppy eyed and all, and she was just working _so_ hard on her studies. Would it _really_ be that bad if the two hid for an hour or two and dedicated some time to defeating that menacing foe? But no, Prompto’s talked about this – he was the _fun_ dad. The one Cira ran to when she just wanted to get her mind off of things, and he had to learn how to put his foot down when the situation called for it.

But damn her pouty face – fifteen years old and it absolutely still worked.

“Sweetheart, your mom’ll kill me if she finds out I’m the reason you’re not studying. Her wrath is _real_ right now. I don’t wanna cross it.”

“ _Or_ … mom sees us bonding over her favorite childhood video game, her pregnancy hormones turn her into a crying mess and she gets all nostalgic on us.” She’s practically sitting on his desk, looking at him expectantly.

A break from his _own_ work would be ideal, too. Sitting on his computer all day as he prepared to write up a _royal report_ regarding the sex of Noctis’ baby, one that would be released to the public in a matter of days, was stressing him out. There were so many formalities he had to worry about, trying to introduce the newest addition of the Caelum family while _not_ getting distracted by literally everything else that was happening.

A few hours with Cira and a game would be good for him. It’d clear his mind and make finishing the report easier.

“You’re so much like your mom it hurts, you know that?”

“Well… you guys raised me to be this way.” She flashes a grin at Prompto, seeing the contemplation on his face before he inevitably gives up. He shuts the laptop closed, stretching out his back.

“Fine. After dinner we’ll sneak off. But I’m not savin’ your ass if mom finds us – or worse, Iggy.”

“Iggy’s too preoccupied with literally everything else right now. He told me he believes in me, and that I’ll pass with flying colors.”

Cira pops onto her toes, pressing a kiss to Prompto’s cheek before she runs off.

“Thank you, Promptoooo – you’re the best!”

He hesitates for a bit, before following her out into the hallway. Dinner was typically held exclusively for Noctis, Prompto, and Cira, since the others were busy handling their own lives, but as of late, it was much more lively. Gladio would join much more frequently, finding the time to take off from training the new members of the crownsguard so he could actually enjoy a meal with his loved ones. Ignis and Aranea would be present, especially now that Noct was pregnant again and Ignis absolutely had to harass the chefs to ensure that they were preparing her meals the way she liked them.

They’d also bring along their daughter, Serena, who was much too quiet – but Cira loved being able to play with her whenever the opportunity arose.

Truthfully, Noctis liked dinner much more when it was crowded like this. It made for true entertainment, and a warmer familial environment. Being surrounded by her friends and family always put her in a good mood.

Prompto sees Noctis and Gladio walking towards the dining hall, arm in arm when they’re abruptly cut off by an energetic Cira, who exclaims that she’s excited to continue studying and not slack off whatsoever. Noctis has a face that expresses that she’s not buying it.

“So, Prompto – what’d she ask you to do for her? Cover her ass while she sneaks off to go to the arcade later tonight?”

“Pfft, Noct – you really can’t get mad at her for that. You pulled that shit all the time when you were her age.” Gladio elbows her lightly, “She’s been working hard. And Iggy says that she’ll do fine.”

“I’m not _mad_ at her.” She huffs, “She’s just like me – how did that even happen?”

“She was raised by the people who raised you.” Prompto smiles sheepishly, “But just remember, who graduated at the top of their class?”

“Mmm – you’re right.” Noctis kind of flips her bangs from her face, grinning all the while. “I know she’s got it in the bag.”

Noctis motions to the others as they continue on their way. It was going to be another crowded dinner, celebratory at that. With Cira’s finishing school for the semester, and news of another baby girl, there was going to be much to talk about. It had been five years since Insomnia slowly started being pulled together, again – things felt _normal_.

Within those five years, there was so much that happened.

Prompto and Noctis were married a year after returning to Insomnia, though after the official ceremony, the four of them were able to celebrate by their own means. Noctis _still_ rejected the title of queen, finding that king truly did suit her much better. She’d address her country in suits, or in gowns, whichever she felt like going with – Prompto always stood by her side, even though he was so afraid of the public and being outed as a Niflheim born refugee. Since the war was over, and Niflheim no longer existed – Noctis assured Prompto that there was no reason to worry.

Ignis was working hard as the royal advisor, helping Noctis along her way as King. He and Aranea resided together, raising their daughter to the best of their ability. Serena was shy, and she took after Ignis in nearly every way – however whenever she _did_ open her mouth, the Aranea in her made itself known.

Gladio held his title as the king’s shield proudly, one who also never left Noct’s side. He assisted in training members of the crownsguard, helping the royal court get back on their feet. Gladio was very active in Cira’s life from then on out, and as such, he did his best to be as present as he could possibly be. He was still heavily involved with house Amicitia, helping Iris take care of her twin boys when it was needed. He was once again responsible for Noctis’ current condition, though the circumstances were much different.

As happy as Noctis was with her daughter, she often felt like she wanted a second chance – and despite there being a fifteen year age difference between her two children, Cira seemed excited to become a big sister. She was already so attentive to Serena, and she loved being around the Amicitia twins; Aries and Atlas. Noct was already five months along, progressing beautifully.

She sat at the head of the table adorned in a gown, one that showed off her growing belly. Her glow brightened the whole room, and for the first time in a while, Noctis felt like everything was going to be alright.

“Your majesty – you look positively radiant, today.”

Noctis can’t help but laugh, sort of rolling her eyes at Ignis’ formality. They were way past all of that, and he typically only spoke to her that way to tease her. He’s got Serena in his hand, since Aranea was out training military personnel for the week. She looks up at her with timid green eyes, shying away by sticking close to her father’s side.

It was funny – how Noctis was also involved in Serena’s childhood since the day she was born – yet she was still so nervous around everybody who wasn’t her father.

“Radiant’s a nice one. I like that – use it more often.” Noctis stands from her seat, crouching down to the best of her ability to be at eye level with the five year old. “I heard your dad made a pretty awesome lookin’ cake for dessert. _But_ , a little birdie told me that _you_ helped him decorate it.”

Serena kind of nods her head, Ignis letting go of her hand to run his fingers through her ashen hair.

“Come, sweetheart – no need to be shy. What did you help me with?” He says, lifting her into his arms to give Noctis a break and allow her to stand up straight.

“I put the flowers on the icing – and I helped daddy put on the sprinkles.”

“That’s right – and you did a _wonderful_ job.”

Noctis smiles, “I can’t wait to see it. I bet you it’s the _best_ looking cake in all of Insomnia.”

Serena’s face lights up at that, and she immediately goes to bury herself in the fabric of Ignis’ shirt. Ignis looks to Noctis, a soft expression on his face, admiring her elegancy. The royal look suited her better than she’d ever realized. While she was a fairly unruly teenager, she grew into something absolutely stunning.

“And how are you feeling? Less fatigued, I hope?”

“Yeah – it’s not that bad anymore. Kiddo’s pretty lethargic most of the time, I don’t really feel her moving around unless it’s late at night.” She says, smoothing her hand out along her belly. “This one’s gonna be the rebellious one, I can feel it.”

“She’ll be spoiled, that’s for certain. Especially with an elder sister like Cira.”

“Yeah, Cira’s excited. Yunno, she grew up with only you guys around – being surrounded by so much family is really good for her.”

“What’s gonna be good for me?”

Her daughter pops up seemingly out of nowhere, a bright smile on her face as she stands beside her mother.

“All the diaper changing I’m gonna make you do.” Noctis wraps her arm around Cira, pulling her close. “Taking care of a baby’s gonna be real hard when you’re the head of the monarchy, you know.”

“I already told you that I wanna help!”

“And don’t forget that your mother also has all of us to assist her if she really needs it. Though I’m sure she wont – her parenting skills put us all to shame the day you were born, Cira.” Ignis sets Serena back on the floor, smiling when he sees her become a little more confident, stepping forward to give Cira a gentle tug on her skirt.

Cira gets to her knees, wrapping her arms around the five year old, hearing her giggle as she’s embraced.

“Well, if the shyest child in the kingdom likes Cira, then I’m _certain_ she’s going to be a wonderful sister.” He folds his arms over his chest, “I’m sure everything will work out beautifully.”

“Heyooo – Gladio said that dinner’s ready. I’m starving!” Prompto snags a seat next to Noctis’, “Hey Iggy, heard that Aranea was gonna try and bring back some Garulessa from her training. Think she’ll stick to her word?”

“Absolutely – she’ll bring back enough to last us the whole year.”

Once Gladio joined them, they were finally able to sit and enjoy their meal. Cira had so much to talk about, regarding her final day of class – how excited she was to start high school and learn more about her heritage. Gladio discussed the new recruits for the crownsguard, speaking about how many of them were _young_ but enthusiastic, all having been children when Insomnia fell fifteen years ago. Prompto goes on about how _annoying_ it was trying to follow specific formatting for his social media projects, complaining that he was going to have to somehow summarize his 5000 word report on Noctis’ pregnancy into 140 characters on twitter. But that was nothing compared to Ignis trying to document the new baby into the system, saying that it was harder to do now that Noctis and Prompto were married, and yet the person responsible for her pregnancy was Gladio.

“Oh hey – have you thought of names, Noct?” Prompto asks, watching as Ignis gets up from his seat to retrieve the cake that he and Serena worked so hard on.

“I was wondering the same thing. You’re pretty good at the whole _baby names_ thing.” Gladio chuckles, “Iris would’ve had two nameless boys if it hadn’t been for you.”

Ignis sets the cake down in the middle of the table, unable to hold back a smile when the others start commending Serena on her hard work, noting how much effort and creativity she put into it. It wasn’t necessarily a gender reveal cake, since everyone present knew what Noctis was having, but it was still celebratory for her, purple in color, with white flowers decorating the surface.

“I’m doing it different this time.” She finally says after a while, “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for a lot of people.”

Noctis looks to Cira, smiling brightly.

“I wanna name her Luna. It just feels right.”

Her partners’ expressions all soften at once, and they find themselves a bit surprised. Noctis tried her hardest not to dwell on the past, but the knowledge that perhaps she was never able to let go of the people she lost was something they all thought about frequently.

It did feel right to name her baby after the one who brought her to her ascension.

“The sun and the moon balance each other out.” Gladio says, “I like it.”

“Thanks…” Noctis gives a gentle smile, “But honestly, I’m five months pregnant and I can’t _wait_ to dig into this cake.”

“Then let us not keep your majesty waiting any longer.”

Noctis laughs, burying her face in her hands out of embarrassment.

“I love you guys – all so much. Thank you for everything.”

**Author's Note:**

> ([heres my tumblr](http://www.pepsipink.tumblr.com))


End file.
